The father of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has died after being brutally attacked by a brown bear during a fishing trip in a remote part of Siberia.
Alexander Kuzmenko, a respected 62-year-old hockey coach, was fishing with a group along the Bolshoy Yenisei River in Russia’s Tuva Republic when the bear suddenly attacked on September 22.
Kuzmenko suffered catastrophic injuries, particularly to his head and face, according to Russian authorities and multiple reports.
His companions managed to drive the animal away and immediately began trying to save him.
Because the group was deep in the wilderness, getting medical help proved difficult. Kuzmenko was initially transported by boat toward a nearby settlement before eventually being evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Kyzyl, the regional capital.
Despite emergency treatment, doctors were unable to save him.
Russian news agency Interfax reported that Kuzmenko underwent two operations following the attack. Oleg Kultuklu, director general of Russia’s National Hockey Center, said Kuzmenko’s heart ultimately could not withstand the trauma.
The tragedy has rocked Russia’s hockey community and forced his NHL-star son to temporarily step away from the ice.
Andrei Kuzmenko, 30, practiced with the Pittsburgh Penguins after learning of his father’s death before leaving the United States and returning to Moscow to be with his family.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said the organization was “deeply saddened” by the news and offered its support to Kuzmenko and his loved ones.
The team has not announced exactly how long the forward will remain away.
Penguins coach Dan Muse also expressed his condolences, saying the organization would support Kuzmenko for as long as necessary.
Alexander Kuzmenko was far more than the father of an NHL player.
He was a longtime hockey coach who reportedly spent nearly three decades developing players in Russia. His coaching career included work at the National Hockey Center, where he helped train talented players who went on to compete at high levels of the sport.
Among the players he coached was his own son.
Andrei Kuzmenko arrived in the NHL with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022 after playing professionally in Russia. He later played for the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings before signing a one-year deal with Pittsburgh in July.
He entered the 2026-27 season with 182 points in 271 regular-season NHL games.
Russian hockey officials have also publicly mourned Alexander’s death.
Roman Rotenberg, a prominent figure in Russian hockey, described the loss as a terrible tragedy and offered his support to Andrei and the Kuzmenko family.
There has also been a development in the search for the animal involved.
Several days after the attack, wildlife officials said hunters located and killed the bear believed to have attacked Kuzmenko in the Todzhinsky district of Tuva.
Artysh Salchak, head of the region’s wildlife protection agency, confirmed the development to Russian media.
The attack occurred in an exceptionally isolated area of southern Siberia, where thick forests and long distances between settlements can make emergency medical responses especially challenging.
Russian reports said Kuzmenko’s companions had to fight the bear off themselves before they could begin the lengthy effort to get him medical attention.
No serious injuries to the other members of the group have been publicly confirmed.
Officials are continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding the encounter.
For the Penguins, the focus is now on giving Kuzmenko the time he needs to grieve.
The forward had been preparing for his first season in Pittsburgh when the tragedy unfolded thousands of miles away.
His teammates saw him briefly at practice before he began the long trip back to Russia — this time not as an NHL player preparing for another season, but as a son returning home after the sudden death of his father.
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