Pittsburgh Penguins And NHL Community Mourn As Andrei Kuzmenko's Father Passes Away In Russia
He was on a fishing trip in a remote part of Siberia. A bear emerged from the forest and attacked the group. Alexander Kuzmenko, 62, was airlifted to hospital but did not survive. His son Andrei is preparing for his first season with Pittsburgh.
Alexander Kuzmenko, the father of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko, has died at the age of 62 following a bear attack during a fishing trip in the Todzhinsky district of Tuva, a remote region of southern Siberia. Russian media reported the death on Thursday, September 24, with multiple outlets including Baza, Ren TV and Sport24 confirming the details of the incident. Alexander was part of a seven-person group that had travelled by boat along the Bolshoy Yenisey River to fish in the taiga on September 22. A bear emerged from the nearby forest and attacked the group. His companions fought the animal off and provided first aid before transporting him by boat to the nearest village, approximately 112 miles from where they had made camp. From there, Alexander was airlifted to a hospital in Kyzyl, the capital of the Tuva Republic, where doctors treated him for severe facial injuries including extensive bites and tissue damage. He later died from his injuries.
Authorities had already restricted outdoor activity in the area due to increased bear activity, and 2026 has been a record year for bear attacks in Russia, with at least 15 people killed in the surrounding region.
Who Alexander Kuzmenko Was and What He Meant to His Son
Alexander Kuzmenko was a hockey coach throughout his life, mentoring KHL players including Nikita Korostelev and Daniil Grigoryev, and coaching his own son from childhood. Every stage of Andrei's development in Russia, from his early years in Yakutsk to his eight KHL seasons with SKA Saint Petersburg, had Alexander involved. When Andrei made the leap to North America at 26 and scored 39 goals in his Vancouver Canucks debut season, finishing as a Calder Trophy finalist, it was a culmination of everything his father had built in him on ice.
Andrei Kuzmenko's Career and the Season Ahead
Andrei, 30, signed a one-year, $5 million contract with Pittsburgh on July 1, 2026, having previously played for the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings. He has 182 points across 271 NHL regular-season games. The Penguins wrapped up preseason play last weekend and have not indicated whether Kuzmenko will miss time from the team. Neither Andrei nor the Penguins had publicly commented as of Thursday morning. The hockey community extended its condolences across social media throughout the day.