Penguins explain Ben Kindel medical emergency after his return to Pittsburgh

The NHL community was concerned to learn that Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel had experienced a medical episode on the team's plane following the club's 5-4 loss at the Utah Mammoth on Monday night. 

While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Penguins president of hockey operations and general manager Kyle Dubas confirmed that Kindel was cleared to return to Pittsburgh on Wednesday. 

Nature of Ben Kindel's medical issue revealed

Per Wes Crosby of the NHL's website, Dubas shared that Kindel experienced a vasovagal syncope about 10 minutes after the Penguins team plane departed Salt Lake City International Airport. 

According to the Mayo Clinic website, a vasovagal syncope trigger "causes your heart rate and blood pressure to drop suddenly," which "leads to reduced blood flow to your brain, causing you to briefly lose consciousness." Kindel received oxygen as the team plane returned to the airport, and he was eventually transported to the University of Utah medical center.

Kindel is on track to miss at least Pittsburgh's home games versus the Florida Panthers on Thursday night and against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. However, he could return for the Oct. 29 home game against the Mammoth.

"I mean, so tough to put a timeframe on it," Dubas said about when Kindel could resume playing. "We play tonight. We play Saturday night. ...Our hope is to get everything done, tested, back into training here in the next four days or so and see if he can return to practice on Sunday or Monday. That's why I would put an asterisk on that by saying, 'We'll see how everything goes before then.'" 

Thus far this season, Kindel has tallied four points (two goals, two assists) over nine games.

Penguins unclear why Ben Kindel had this issue

Dubas said that Kindel has "no prior history of" having a vasovagal episode. The 19-year-old forward was also left "very clearly shaken" by the incident. 

That said, the 3-6-1 Penguins have dropped four straight games and need to stop the figurative bleeding as soon as possible. Dubas understands this, and he sent a message to members of the Pittsburgh roster who will take the ice on Thursday evening. 

"The show goes on [Thursday night]," Dubas acknowledged. "So, we have to gear up and get ready for that. No. 1, take care of our people. And No. 2, put them in a good place to perform. So, we'll get back at it."