Penguins Forward Andrei Kuzmenko Switches Jersey to No. 62 to Honor Father Killed in Bear Attack
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Andrei Kuzmenko returned to the team Friday and will wear No. 62 this season, honoring his father Alexander, who died at 62 after a bear attack during a fishing trip in Siberia.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has returned to the team and will wear a new jersey number this season to honor his late father, Alexander, who was killed in a bear attack during a fishing trip in Siberia last month.
Kuzmenko, 30, addressed reporters at the team's practice facility on Friday ahead of Saturday's game against the Montreal Canadiens, speaking publicly for the first time about the circumstances of his father's death. He said he wanted to speak with the media because he understood that reporters have a job to do, and he thanked everyone for the support he received in the wake of the tragedy.
According to Kuzmenko, his father was on a fishing trip with friends when the attack occurred. «My father go permit fishing with friends, and he stayed in the water,» Kuzmenko said. «And bear stand behind him and attack. And my father fight the bear one hour, 10 minutes and he still lived after two days.»
The 30-year-old winger, who is in his first season with the Penguins, had worn No. 96 throughout his previous NHL stops with the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings. Upon signing with Pittsburgh, he had been preparing to use No. 10. Instead, he will wear No. 62, a number that carries deep personal significance: his father was 62 years old at the time of his death, and his mother was born in 1962.
Kuzmenko spent time in the KHL before arriving in the NHL ahead of the 2022-23 season. Over 271 career games, he has recorded 182 points, including 85 goals and 97 assists. His return to the Penguins lineup comes after he took time away from the team to be with his family following the loss.
The jersey change is a quiet but meaningful tribute to a father who played a central role in Kuzmenko's hockey journey. By choosing No. 62, Kuzmenko ties his father's memory to every shift he takes on the ice, turning a personal tragedy into a lasting public remembrance.
Pittsburgh's game against Montreal will be Kuzmenko's first since returning to the team. Teammates and coaches have publicly supported him during his absence, and his decision to speak openly about his father's death reflects both his composure and his desire to honor a man he described as a fighter.
Kuzmenko's account of the attack — that his father fought the bear for more than an hour and survived for two days afterward — has drawn attention well beyond the hockey world. It is a rare and harrowing detail that underscores the randomness of the tragedy and the resilience his father showed in his final moments.
For the Penguins, Kuzmenko's return adds depth to a forward group looking to climb the standings. For Kuzmenko himself, the new number is more than a roster formality. It is a daily reminder of his father, and a way to carry his memory into the next chapter of his career.
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