Pittsburgh Penguins winger grieving after father passes away in horrific accident on fishing trip

Tragedy has hit the Kuzmenko family hard this week.

Andrei, who signed with the Penguins over the summer, is now dealing with devastating news from back home after his father was attacked by a bear during what was supposed to be a relaxing trip.

According to local outlet 112, 62 year old Alexander Kuzmenko was out fishing with a group of friends along the Bolshoy Yenisei river in the Todzhinsky district of Tuva when the group unexpectedly came across a bear on the shoreline.

The animal turned on Alexander almost immediately, and his friends had to fight it off before rushing to give him first aid right there on the riverbank.

Alexander was rushed to the hospital with severe facial injuries and what doctors described as post traumatic shock, but he ultimately did not survive.

It is an especially painful loss for Andrei, since Alexander was not just his dad, he was the man who first put him on skates.

He spent years working as a hockey coach and personally trained his son through his early years in the sport, laying the foundation for everything that followed.

That connection between father and son makes this news land even harder across the hockey world, and condolences have already started pouring in for Andrei and the rest of his family as word of the attack spreads.

The 30 year old winger only joined the Penguins this offseason on a one year, five million dollar deal after spending last season with the Los Angeles Kings, where he put up 25 points in 52 games.

He is expected to be an important offensive piece for Pittsburgh this year, but for now, hockey will understandably take a back seat as he processes the loss of the man who shaped his entire path to the NHL.

Our thoughts are with Andrei and his family during an incredibly difficult time.

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