Father of Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko killed in Russian bear attack

Alexander Kuzmenko, the 62-year-old father of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko, died following a bear attack on Wednesday while on a fishing trip in Tuva, Russia. The incident occurred near the Krasnaya River, where emergency responders faced significant delays due to the remote location. Despite being airlifted to a hospital, he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Pittsburgh Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas expressed the organization's condolences and confirmed that Andrei Kuzmenko has the team's full support. Andrei, who joined the Penguins on a one-year, $5 million contract this past July, participated in team practice before traveling to Moscow to be with his family. Russian authorities have noted a record number of bear-related fatalities in the region this year.