Pittsburgh Penguins winger Andrei Kuzmenko is away from training camp after a family tragedy in Russia, where his father, hockey coach Alexander Kuzmenko, was killed in a bear attack.
The Penguins announced the leave of absence after news broke that Alexander Kuzmenko, 62, died while on a fishing trip in Tuva, Russia. Russian news source REN TV identified him as the tourist who was attacked in the country’s southern Siberian region.
According to the report, Alexander was with several friends on the Bolshoy Yenisey River on Wednesday when the bear came out of the forest and struck. The outlet said, “A bear suddenly emerged from the forest, attacked the tourist (Kuzmenko) and bit him on the head,” and added that companions were able to chase the animal off, give first aid and call for an ambulance.
The attack left Kuzmenko with severe facial injuries and extensive tissue damage, and he later died after being airlifted to a hospital. REN TV also reported that the area had been under a ban because of rising reports of bears moving closer to populated places.
Andrei Kuzmenko skated with the Penguins on Thursday morning before heading back to Russia. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement, “The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened, this morning, to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” and added, “Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander. We ask that the privacy of Andrei and the Kuzmenko family be respected at this time.
“Andrei chose to be surrounded by his teammates and practice with the team this morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family this afternoon. Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time.”
Kuzmenko signed a one-year, $5-million US contract with Pittsburgh over the offseason. He played the 2025-26 season with the Los Angeles Kings after earlier NHL stops with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers.
Before coming to North America, he spent eight seasons in Russia’s KHL and became a star with St. Petersburg SKA.
The Penguins are set to open their 2026-27 season next Wednesday against the Flyers, though it is not clear whether Kuzmenko will be in the lineup.
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