The father of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko was attacked by a bear and killed in Russia, the team confirmed Thursday.
Alexander Kuzmenko, 62, was on a fishing trip in the Tuva region in southern Siberia, part of a group of seven travelers. Their fishing spot along the Krasnaya River sits amid a dense forest, and the bear launched its attack from the trees, The Athletic reported Thursday.
A member of the traveling part had a satellite phone and called for help, but the conditions made it difficult to find and treat Kuzmenko. Once he was located four hours later, he was airlifted to a hospital and pronounced dead. Because of the bear population, access to the area had been restricted.
The elder Kuzmenko was a hockey coach in Russia.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “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.”
Dubas said Andrei wanted to practice with the team this morning before catching a flight bound for Moscow.
“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,” Dubas said. “Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time.”
The younger Kuzmenko, 30, signed a one-year, $5 million contract in the offseason. He is entering his fourth season in the NHL and first in Pittsburgh, after stints with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings.
The Penguins open their season on Wednesday against the Flyers in Philadelphia.