Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko is flying to Moscow to be with his family after his father, Alexander, was killed in a bear attack Wednesday in Siberia.
Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports the Penguins confirmed the cause of death for Alexander Kuzmenko.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened, this morning, to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” Penguins president Kyle Dubas said. “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, 30, is entering his first season with the Penguins after joining the team on a one-year, $5 million contract this summer.
He spent the previous two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings, posting 13 goals and 25 points in 52 games last year.
Kuzmenko made his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022-23. He has 85 goals and 182 points in 271 career games.
