Burnaby Winter Club alumnus Ben Kindel made his NHL debut last night as the Pittsburgh Penguins opened their regular season with a 3–0 win over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

Kindel started the game alongside Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang — a symbolic moment as Pittsburgh’s “Big Three” began their 20th season together. Head Coach Dan Muse, also making his debut behind the Penguins bench, said afterward that Kindel and fellow rookie Harrison Brunicke “did a good job,” adding that both were poised and confident in their first NHL appearances.

Goaltender Arturs Silovs earned a 25-save shutout in his first start with the Penguins, while Justin Brazeau scored twice to secure the win.

It’s been a whirlwind summer for 18-year-old Ben Kindel. After a 99-point campaign with the Calgary Hitmen in 2024/25, Kindel was drafted 11th overall in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins in June, and signed an entry-level contract with the NHL club in July.

Kindel appeared in all but one exhibition games this preseason with the Penguins (1G, 2A) and earned high praise from Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

“I think he’s got a lot of poise with the puck, a lot of speed,” Crosby told NHL.com. “Those two things probably stand out the most. I think he’s using his speed well. He’s finding guys, he distributes the puck really well, and he seems like he’s confident. It doesn’t seem like it’s been too fast for him or anything like that. To this point, he’s done a great job. So, sometimes it takes time to adjust all that. It seems like with every game, he’s getting more and more comfortable.”

With the Penguins currently in a rebuilding phase having missed the playoffs the past three seasons, Kindel could crack the lineup this season as the Penguins increasingly look to rely on their young prospects.

“I’m really grateful to still be here, have this opportunity to continue and be in this environment,” he told NHL.com. “I’ve learned a lot, grown a lot. Just got to see what it kind of takes to live this life. Going through training camp and preseason, just how they have to take every day, work hard, preparation, all those things. You have to do it with a pro mindset.”