Andrei Kuzmenko is dealing with devastating personal loss as he prepares for his fifth NHL season.
According to a report from Russian news outlet Ren.tv, Alexander Kuzmenko, the father of the Pittsburgh Penguins forward, was killed while visiting the Tuva Republic in southern Siberia. The report said Kuzmenko was bitten in the head by a bear that suddenly came out of the forest and suffered “severe facial injuries, including extensive tissue damage.”
Doctors were unable to save him. He was 62 years old.
Alexander Kuzmenko was known as a hockey coach and had worked with KHL players Nikita Korostelev and Daniil Grigoryev, among others. He was reportedly on a fishing trip in the area when the attack happened.
Ren.tv reported that a ban had been put in place along the Bolshoy Yenisey River just days earlier after growing reports of bears moving toward the forested area. The outlet also said 2026 has been a record year for bear attacks on humans in Russia, with at least 15 deaths in surrounding areas. Experts blamed the surge on “poor harvest of berries and pine nuts in the taiga: without their usual food before hibernation, the animals migrate en masse to populated areas, landfills, summer cottages, and farms in search of food.”
Kuzmenko’s NHL path has taken him through several stops since arriving in North America. After time in the KHL with CSKA Moscow and SKA Saint Petersburg, he joined the NHL in 2022 with the Vancouver Canucks. He later spent two seasons with the Calgary Flames, had a short stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, and then got his career back on track with the Los Angeles Kings.
On July 1, 2026, Kuzmenko signed a one-year, $5 million deal with the Penguins.
In 271 regular-season games, he has produced 182 points, with 85 goals and 97 assists. He also has six points, split between three goals and three assists, in seven playoff games with the Kings.
In Other News...
Padres Win Came With Two Pitching Developments Fans Need To See
The Padres 5-1 win over the Dodgers on Sunday came with more than just another notch in the standings. Robbie Ray handled the early work by giving up one earned run over 3.1 innings, and five relievers finished the job with 5.2 scoreless frames as San Diego kept building toward October at 88-70.
The more interesting part for the Padres is what came with the roster churn around the victory. The club designated a veteran pitcher for assignment, sent another to the Arizona Complex League, and activated Jason Adam from the injured list, while Craig Stammen also offered fresh updates on Joe Musgroves recovery and Walker Buehlers postseason role. For a team already thinking beyond the regular season, those pitching developments may matter as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Answered The Dodgers In A Game That Meant Plenty
A night after the kind of result that can tilt a division race, the Padres responded with a win that carried plenty of weight of its own. Manny Machados two-run homer helped set the tone in a 5-1 victory over the Dodgers in the second game of the series, giving San Diego a needed answer in a matchup that rarely feels ordinary.
David Morgan provided one of the sharper late-game moments, striking out Shohei Ohtani to help preserve the lead and keep the Padres in control. The win also left San Diego a game ahead of the Cubs and Phillies for the top National League wild-card seed after other results broke in its favor, a small but meaningful cushion with the standings still tight. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Just Got A New Bullpen Problem In San Diego
The Padres are getting a key arm back at a timely moment, with right-hander Jason Adam set to come off the 60-day injured list ahead of the series against the Dodgers. San Diego plans to clear a spot by optioning Griffin Canning to Triple-A, with a corresponding 40-man move still to come, and Adam is expected to slide back into the bullpen mix quickly.
Even with the return, the picture is still a little unsettled because Adam has not been sharp in his recent rehab outings. The Padres are clearly betting that getting him back into a major league environment will help, and the timing only adds to the stakes with Los Angeles on deck, since San Diego will want every leverage arm available for what should be a high-pressure stretch. [Read more 🡒]