Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko is stepping away from the team after his father, Alexander, was killed in a bear attack in Russia, the organization announced Thursday.
The 30-year-old Kuzmenko was with the Penguins for practice earlier in the day before departing for Russia to be with his family.
According to Russian media outlet Ren.tv, as cited by ESPN, Kuzmenko’s 62-year-old father was killed Thursday by a bear while on a fishing trip.
The attack happened in the Tuva Republic, a region in southern Siberia. Alexander was bitten in the head by the bear, which came out of a nearby wooded area, according to the report. He suffered extensive tissue damage.
Ren.tv reported that Alexander, who was an admired hockey coach in Russia, was not alone when the animal struck. He was with six other people, who were able to scare the bear away and then tried to get help for him.
But the rescue effort ran into serious trouble. The density of the forest made it difficult for ambulances to reach the group, and it took hours for one to arrive, according to the outlet.
The Penguins released a statement from General Manager Kyle Dubas on Thursday expressing the organization’s grief over the loss.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” Dubas said.
“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.”
Dubas also revealed that Kuzmenko made a point of spending time with his teammates before heading home.
“Andrei chose to be surrounded by his teammates and practice with the team this morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family this afternoon,” the general manager said. “Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time.”
The decision to take the ice with his teammates on the same day he learned of his father’s death stands out. Rather than leaving right away, Kuzmenko practiced alongside the rest of the Penguins that morning before making the trip back to Moscow in the afternoon.
The team has not said how long Kuzmenko’s leave of absence will last. The organization instead focused its statement on supporting the forward and his family, and on asking the public to give them privacy as they mourn.
The tragedy unfolded thousands of miles from Pittsburgh, in a remote part of southern Siberia where, according to the Ren.tv report, the thick forest stood between the injured man and the medical help his group was trying to reach.
Alexander Kuzmenko was 62 years old. He leaves behind a son now grieving his loss, and a hockey community in Russia that knew him as a respected coach.
The Penguins organization said Kuzmenko and his family have its full backing as they deal with the sudden and tragic loss.
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