Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel has officially scored the first NHL goal of his career. The goal came in just his third NHL game against the New York Rangers.
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It happened after he took the puck off a Ranger and broke out on the rush. Once he got over the blue line, he ripped a wrist shot that beat Igor Shesterkin clean. His celebration after was pure emotion, especially when his teammates surrounded him.
Kindel, 18, was the 11th overall pick in the 2025 Draft and has already shown that he deserved to make the team and definitely deserves to stay. Ultimately, it’ll depend on what the Penguins have planned for the season. Kindel can play up to nine games before he burns the first year of his entry-level contract.
If the Penguins decide to keep him up and use that year, it might be worth it. He’s been very good early on. There are going to be some learning curves, but if he can work through them and learn from the veterans in the locker room, he has a chance to have a very good, long career. And scoring in just his third game, beating one of the best goalies in the league with a long-distance wrist shot, is a pretty good start to showing how good he can be.
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