PUBLICATION

Tom Banks
December 8, 2025  (12:26)

Ben Kindel of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Photo credit: PensBurgh

Ben Kindel has emerged as a key piece of the Penguins lineup, and now, they’re reportedly not going to allow him to play at the World Juniors.

In the 2025 NHL Draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins took a chance on a young forward from the WHL in Ben Kindel, with many immediately calling the move a reach from Kyle Dubas and the front office.

However, he quickly won them over in training camp, so much so that he won a starting role in the lineup to begin 2025/26, although many believed it would be a simple nine game stint before returning to the Calgary Hitmen.

To the surprise of many, the 18-year old has continued to win people over in Pittsburgh, and with 7 goals and 10 points in 23 games played, he appears to be on the roster for the long haul.

Ben Kindel denied the opportunity to play at the World Juniors

That was confirmed recently by Penguins insider Josh Yohe, as he reported that the team will allow Harrison Brunicke, but not Kindel to compete for Team Canada at the World Juniors, meaning he’s going to be on the roster for good moving forward.

That shouldn’t shock many, as Kindel has earned every bit of playing time this season, and with the Penguins running a third line of Rutger McGroarty, Kindel and Ville Koivunen, it appears they’ve got some key pieces for the future locked down.

Ultimately, if the Penguins were on the fence about Kindel, allowing him to play for Canada would have been a good move, but clearly he’s a key piece of their lineup, with Canada’s loss being a major gain for the Penguins.

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Pittsburgh Penguins will reportedly block young player from going to World Juniors with Team Canada

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