NHL Player's Father Killed by Bear

Andrei Kuzmenko is stepping away from the Pittsburgh Penguins after his father, a well-known hockey coach in Russia, was killed by a bear while on a fishing trip in Siberia. Russian outlet REN TV reports Alexander Kuzmenko, 62, died Wednesday after the attack in the Tuva Republic, near Russia's border with Mongolia. He was with a group of six people, who drove the bear away. They had to travel for hours down a river in a densely forested area before an ambulance could reach them, the Russian outlet reports. Kuzmenko, who had been bitten in the head and suffered severe facial injuries, was airlifted to a hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.

The attack happened in a remote area, with the nearest village more than 100 miles away, Fox News reports. Authorities had restricted outdoor activities in the region due to bear activity, but it's not clear whether the group was aware of the warnings. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said the organization is "deeply saddened," the New York Post reports. "Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander," he said. He said the player "chose to be surrounded by his teammates" and practiced with the team Thursday morning before flying to Moscow to be with his family.

The 30-year-old forward began his NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks in 2022, the Guardian reports. Kuzmenko, who has 85 goals and 97 assists in 271 NHL appearances, has also played for the Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings. In July, he signed a one-year, $5 million deal with Pittsburgh for the upcoming season, which starts next week.