Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko is changing his jersey number to 62 to honor his father, Alexander, who died in a bear attack in Russia at age 62. Kuzmenko, who previously wore No. 10, returned to practice on Friday for the first time since attending his father's funeral in Moscow. He explained that the number 62 also reflects his mother's birth year, 1962.
Kuzmenko described his father's death as a "big shock." Russian news outlet Ren.tv reported that Alexander was killed by a bear during a fishing trip in the Tyva section of Siberia, suffering fatal head injuries. He was airlifted to a hospital in Kyzyl, the capital of Tuva Republic, but did not survive. The Penguins are set to play Montreal in their home opener on Saturday.
ESPN's Kristen Shilton and The Associated Press contributed to the report.
Source: ESPN NHL · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing