Penguins’ Andrei Kuzmenko takes leave after father’s death in Russia from reported bear attack

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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has taken a leave of absence from the club following the death of his father in Russia.

The team confirmed Alexander Kuzmenko's death on Thursday. Russia-based media outlet Ren.TV reported that the 62-year-old Kuzmenko died after being attacked by a bear in Tuva, a region in Siberia, while on a fishing trip.

“Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander,” Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas said in a statement. “We ask that the privacy of Andrei and the Kuzmenko family be respected at this time.”

Kuzmenko, 30, who signed with Pittsburgh as a free agent over the summer, left the team on Thursday to be with his family in Moscow.

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