After Practice With His Teammates, Andrei Kuzmenko Flies Home Following His Father's Death

Andrei Kuzmenko went to practice Thursday morning. Then he left for Russia.

The Penguins forward is taking a leave of absence after the death of his father, Alexander, who was 62 and a respected hockey coach in Russia. According to Russian outlet Ren.tv, he was attacked by a bear on Tuesday while fishing in the Tuva Republic in southern Siberia. The bear came out of the woods and bit him on the head. The six people with him drove it off, but the forest was too dense for an ambulance to reach them quickly, and it took hours. He was airlifted to a hospital in Kyzyl and could not be saved.

General manager Kyle Dubas said the organization was deeply saddened and asked for privacy for the family. He noted that Kuzmenko chose to be with his teammates that morning before going home. Coach Dan Muse said the same: Kuzmenko wanted to skate with the group first.

Kuzmenko, 30, signed a one-year, $5 million deal with Pittsburgh in July. He has 85 goals in 271 NHL games with the Kings, Flyers, Flames and Canucks. The team hasn't said when he'll be back.