Penguins' Kuzmenko takes leave after father killed by bear — SkimNews
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- Andrei Kuzmenko, 30, took a leave of absence from the Pittsburgh Penguins after his father Alexander, 62, was killed by a bear on a fishing trip Tuesday in the Tuva Republic of southern Siberia, per Russian outlet Ren.tv.
- Alexander Kuzmenko was bitten in the head by a bear that emerged from a nearby wooded area, suffering extensive tissue damage; he was a highly regarded hockey coach in Russia, according to the Ren.tv report.
- The fishing group of seven people — including Alexander — managed to scare the bear off, but dense forest delayed ambulance access by hours before Alexander could be airlifted to a hospital in Kyzyl, Tuva's capital, where he was pronounced dead.
- Andrei Kuzmenko practiced with the Penguins that morning before departing for Moscow to be with his family, according to general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Dan Muse, who both pledged the organization's full support.
- Kuzmenko signed a one-year, $5 million contract with Pittsburgh in July and enters his fifth NHL season with 85 goals and 182 points across 271 games with the Kings, Flyers, Flames and Canucks.
Why it matters: Kuzmenko's absence removes a top-six forward from a Penguins team that just invested $5 million in him for this season, leaving Pittsburgh to adjust its forward lines while a key player grieves across an ocean. The incident also underscores the hazards of Russia's vast remote wilderness, where dense forest and limited road access turned a survivable bear attack into a fatal one before emergency help could arrive.
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