The father of former Calgary Flames forward Andrei Kuzmenko died in a bear attack during a fishing trip in Russia on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.
Alexander Kuzmenko, 62, was a well-known hockey coach in Russia. He had been on a fishing trip with six others in Tuva, located in southern Siberia near the border with Mongolia, according to reports.
Russian network REN TV was first to report the news on Wednesday. The Athletic, The Guardian and Sportsnet are among the outlets to have since reported the news.
According to the reports, Kuzmenko was attacked after a bear emerged from a nearby forest. Ambulances were reportedly delayed in reaching the group, due to the dense forest.
Andrei Kuzmenko was traded to the Flames during the 2023-24 season. During his time in Calgary, he recorded 40 points in 66 games across parts of two seasons before he was traded to Philadelphia in January 2025.
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In July, he signed a one-year, $5-million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In a statement on Thursday, the Penguins confirmed Kuzmenko had stepped away from the team after his father’s death.
“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,” Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas said in the statement.
Dubas said Kuzmenko practiced with the team Thursday morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family.
Amanda Kessel, director of the Penguins’ minor league operations and assistant general manager of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, said in the statement the organization is giving Kuzmenko as much time as he needs with his family.
“However long it takes, we’ll do what we can to support him. But obviously very tragic, and the organization will be behind him and his family,” said Kessel.
