“It was awesome,” Kindel told Josh Getzoff in the latest episode of Get Me the Brandy. “It’s been a whirlwind since the draft and development camp. Just really happy just to be able to make the team and get to know the organization, get to know all the guys, and have that opportunity to play a full season with the Penguins.”
So, what sparked that belief in Kindel?
Clark actually met the Vancouver native before any of the scouts did, at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which takes place in August. They were staying at the same hotel and ended up riding an elevator together, where Clark introduced himself.
After watching Kindel win gold with Canada at that tournament, Clark ended up catching one of his games early in the season, with his Calgary Hitmen playing the Swift Current Broncos. While Kindel wasn’t the reason Clark was there, “that’s where Ben initially popped off the page for myself,” he said.
From there, Clark and the two Penguins amateur scouts based out West – Dan McLean and Robbie Sandland – began focusing on Kindel. His hockey IQ is what jumped out.
“The first time I actually started keying in on Ben, there were a number of sequences throughout that game where his spatial awareness and quickness in his decision-making really stood out,” Clark said.
While the area scouts are in charge of doing due diligence on prospects, there are a select few players that Clark will take personal interest in, doing his best to get to know them to help the decision-making process. Kindel was one of them, though he wasn’t fully aware of it at the time.
“I mean, you always hear from different people, or your agents sometimes, who would be a little bit more interested. I think you’re never sure with the draft,” Kindel told Getzoff. “There’s so much uncertainty. I had a feeling the Penguins were somewhat interested, but you can never be so sure. Teams are trying to get leverage on other teams and all that kind of stuff. You just kind of got to go into draft day just enjoying it, and whatever happens, happens.”
And when Kris Letang and his son Alex announced that the Penguins had made Kindel their first pick of the draft, while there was some confused chatter amongst the hockey media and analysts, the feeling inside Pittsburgh’s headquarters was much different.
“Excited, intrigued,” Clark said. “Happy for him, happy for the Penguins. Like any player we select, I felt inside that he had a real chance, right from rookie tournament into training camp. Genuinely really excited for him and for the organization, thinking that we were able to get a real good player and person into the organization.”