A Series of Unbelievable Firsts for Ben Kindel

Not long after the Penguins selected Ben Kindel with the 11^th overall pick, his parents Steve Kindel and Sara Maglio did an interview for a profile. Both retired professional soccer players, they know just how hard it is to make it at the highest level of a sport

“I remember from a really young age, him saying he's going to play in the NHL. Me knowing the statistics and the percentage, I never really let myself believe it. Not that I didn't believe in him, but we're realistic,” Sara said at the time.

But she did go on to say this:

“I feel like along the way, over the years, that he's kind of defied the odds and done things unexpected along the way. So, I'm really excited to see what he can do here.”

When Ben let them know that he would be the fifth-youngest player in franchise history to make his NHL debut at 18 years and 171 days on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, Sara joked that she told him to go back and read what she had said about him.

“But even at this point, we're still trying to keep it in check, because it's still very much a tryout,” Sara said. “It's still one day at a time and make it to the next day. So, although this is a great accomplishment to do tonight, there's still a long road to your goal of being a regular in the NHL. Just still trying to keep that very grounded.”

READ: Soccer Legacy, Hockey Future - Ben Kindel's Journey

To Steve, it feels like just yesterday that Ben was sitting on his lap watching Canadiens games, as he was a Montreal fan.

“There's been so many just unbelievable moments in such a short period of time here the last few weeks,” Steve said. “It seems like when he was that little kid up until now, it went by in a flash, and then you're going to camp with NHL players. It's just super exciting.

“Then two days later, you're playing at Bell Centre and it sold out. Then they dressed him for the Fleury game, and that was another unbelievable moment. And then you wake up the next day, and he’s on the roster for the season opener in Madison Square Garden. The last few weeks have been a series of unbelievable firsts for him. It’s been quite a ride.”

Steve and Sara flew in from their native British Columbia last night and got to Madison Square Garden about 90 minutes before the 8 PM start time.

“They've done so much for me, supporting me along this way. So, I mean, this day is just as important to my family as it is to myself,” Ben said. “Family and friends and everybody who supported me. But they've done so much to me, taught me so much, and helped me get to this point, and I wouldn't be here without them.”

As Steve and Sara walked to their seats in the lower bowl, they reminisced about bringing Ben there in 2022, during his Western Hockey League draft year. Ben’s spring team had a tournament in Philadelphia, and since they had an extra day at the end, the family rented a car and drove into the city for a playoff game between the Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes.

They signed up for a tour of Madison Square Garden before the puck dropped, which, coincidentally enough, there was one going through while Ben was taking part in morning skate. What a difference a few years makes.

“We sort of got tickets last minute,” Steve said. “He's seen how rambunctious the crowd can be. Hopefully, that helps him tonight, so he can know a little bit of what to expect.”

Ben was a bit speechless this morning when thinking about playing an NHL game here, but handled himself extremely well. He finished with just over 15 minutes of ice time centering a line with Tommy Novak and Phil Tomasino, going 4-1 in the dot, an impressive performance for a position with a lot of responsibility.

“Obviously, there’s going to be nerves, but I think just having that confidence to be able to make plays and just trust yourself – you're here, so you might as well just go get it,” Kindel said. "Go get after it. So yeah, no hesitation. There was a lot of good moments, both on the defensive side and the offensive side. So, just gonna take what I learned from this game and bring it to the next one.”