Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has returned to Russia after his father, Alexander, was killed in a bear attack during a fishing trip in southern Siberia. The incident occurred before the NHL season, prompting the Penguins to express their condolences and support for Kuzmenko and his family.

Alexander Kuzmenko, a 62-year-old ice hockey coach, was attacked near the Krasnaya River while with seven others. He suffered severe facial injuries, was transported four hours downstream through dense forest and then flown to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 30-year-old Andrei Kuzmenko joined Pittsburgh on a one-year contract this summer and is preparing for his fifth NHL season.