Father of NHL player Andrei Kuzmenko dies after bear attack in Tuva

Hockey coach Alexander Kuzmenko died after a bear attack on a fishing trip in Tuva, RIA Novosti reports. The specialist was 62 years old.

The incident occurred on September 22. A group of seven people, despite the ban on visiting forests, came to the taiga of Todzhinsky district. The predator attacked the tourists. Alexander Kuzmenko received serious injuries to the facial part of the body. He was taken to Kyzyl, where he died in hospital.

The deceased worked at the sports schools “Polar Bears” and “North Star”, as well as at the National Hockey Center. Among his pupils are players of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) Nikita Korostelev and Daniil Grigoriev.

Up to 12 years under the leadership of Alexander Kuzmenko trained his son Andrei Kuzmenko. For the past seven seasons, the forward plays in the clubs of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the summer, the 30-year-old striker signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has 85 goals and 97 assists in 271 NHL games.

Arnold Kabanov