VP Sports & Entertainment presents: Hitmen alternate captain Kindel signs entry-level contract with Pittsburgh Penguins

Calgary Hitmen alternate captain Ben Kindel has locked up a three-year, entry-level contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins, President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas announced Tuesday.

Pittsburgh selected the dynamic forward with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft just under two weeks ago.

Ben Kindel is on the podium after being selected by the @penguins with the 11th overall pick in the 2025 #NHLDraft!@WHLHitmen | #LetsGoPens | #LetsGoBens? pic.twitter.com/Ndl2Mbba31

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 28, 2025

Kindel, 18, is coming off a breakout season with the powerhouse Hitmen.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound centreman posted 35 goals and 64 assists for 99 points and a +39 rating and 54.4 faceoff percentage in 65 regular-season games in 2024-25.

He ranked second on the Hitmen in points and goals while leading the team in assists, while ranking seventh in the WHL points and assists race.

Kindel earned a new Hitmen record for longest point streak after going on a 23-game tear (15G-30A) from November 8, 2024, to January 12, 2025. His dominant run was second only to  WHL Player of the Year Gavin McKenna’s 40-game streak.

Q: Which WHLer finished seventh in League scoring with 99 points in 65 games and is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft?

A: Ben Kindel – duh!@WHLHitmen | #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/uwe2a50Mzf

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) June 15, 2025

The Coquitlam, B.C. product also led the Hitmen in postseason scoring with 15 points (8G-7A) in 11 playoff games to help the group reach Game 7 of the second round.

“The best playmakers are always a step ahead,” Calgary Hitmen Head Coach Paul McFarland said of Kindel ahead of the NHL Draft. “They know where they’re doing with the puck before they get it, and Ben sees things other players don’t… He thinks the game at an elite level, and he’s ultra competitive to go with it. Over the course of the season, he was very consistent from start to finish with us, and probably played his best hockey in the playoffs, when, obviously, everything matters the most. It was very evident to all of us when the game was on the line, he wanted to be on the ice. He wanted to be the player who scored the big goal. And he was able to do that for us on a number of different occasions throughout the year.”

He was recognized as a WHL East Division First Team All-Star and was chosen to compete at the first-ever CHL USA Prospects Challenge presented by Kubota Canada, where he picked up an assist with a gorgeous stretch pass on Lynden Lakovic’s series-opening goal.

Kindel also captured gold for Canada at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (1G-1A) and 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship (1G-6A).

Originally selected by the Hitmen with the 43rd overall pick in the second round of the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft, Kindel has tallied 50 goals and 109 assists for 159 points in 134 regular-season WHL games.

He joins fellow Hitmen forward Tanner Howe and recent Calgary signee Kale Dach in the Penguins’ prospect pool.