A tragic story. On Thursday, reports circulated that former Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander, had been killed in a bear attack in Russia.

Russian network REN TV was among those who reported the news. In their article, they wrote:

The Pittsburgh Penguins released a statement about the tragedy on Thursday morning.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins organization was deeply saddened this morning to learn of the passing of Andrei Kuzmenko’s father, Alexander,” Penguins president and general manager Kyle Dubas. “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. 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. Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time.”

Andrei Kuzmenko began his NHL career with the Canucks as a KHL free agent after putting up 53 points in 45 games with SKA St. Petersburg in 2021-22. The 2022-23 season was a magical one for Kuzmenko, as the “Kuzmenkshow” quickly took centre stage in Vancouver. Primarily playing on a line alongside Elias Pettersson, Kuzmenko scored 39 goals and added on 35 assists, good for 74 total points in 81 games. On top of his production on the ice, Kuzmenko’s bubbly personality off the ice helped make him a fan favourite and a well-liked teammate.

After stops in Calgary, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles, Kuzmenko signed a one-year $5 million contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins in free agency this past offseason.