What Happened
Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel practiced with the team on Tuesday, a week after he collapsed on the club's flight back from Utah because of a vasovagal episode. The plane turned back for an emergency landing, and Kindel was taken by ambulance to a hospital before being released the next day. He skated on the second line with Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin and on the second power-play unit.
Key Details
- Kindel, 19, collapsed on the team flight from Utah due to a vasovagal episode.
- The plane made an emergency landing; Kindel was hospitalized and released the next day.
- He practiced Tuesday on the second line with Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin.
- Kindel has two assists in nine games this season.
- He played nearly 19 minutes in the Oct. 19 loss to Utah and missed the next two games.
What It Means
Kindel's return puts him back in a top-six role and on the second power-play unit after a medical scare that forced an emergency landing. The 19-year-old center had logged nearly 19 minutes against Utah before the episode and sat out two games, so his return gives Pittsburgh another option down the middle as he resumes his first full NHL season.