Alexander Kuzmenko, the father of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko, has died at the age of 62 following a bear attack in Siberia, according to reports in Russian media.
The account comes from the Russian Telegram channel Baza and was relayed by the Belarusian outlet Nasha Niva. According to those reports, Kuzmenko travelled with a group of seven people to fish in the taiga of the Todzhinsky district in Tuva on September 22, at a time when a ban on entering the forest was in place.
Andrei Kuzmenko’s father reported dead
A bear attacked the group and several of the men suffered severe facial injuries. Kuzmenko was airlifted to a hospital in Kyzyl but could not be saved.
Russian outlet Ren TV also reported that the man who died in the attack was a hockey coach. Alexander Kuzmenko worked as a coach in Russia for many years and coached his own son during his development.
Neither the Penguins nor the NHL have commented publicly on the reports, and no Western outlet has independently confirmed the account.
Andrei Kuzmenko, 30, is entering his fourth NHL season and signed a one-year contract worth $5 million with Pittsburgh this summer. The Yakutsk native came to North America from SKA Saint Petersburg in 2022, having spent eight seasons in the KHL before making the move at 26.
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He arrived as an unknown quantity and immediately proved he belonged, scoring 39 goals and 74 points in his first season with Vancouver and finishing as a finalist for the Calder Trophy. The years since have been more unsettled, taking him to Calgary, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. He recorded 13 goals and 25 points last season.
The news comes as the Penguins wrap up their preseason schedule. The club has not indicated whether Kuzmenko will be away from the team.
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