Andrei Kuzmenko will be playing this season with a heavy heart.
Kuzmenko's father, Alexander, has died, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced Thursday.
He was 62.
"Our deepest thoughts and sympathies are with the Kuzmenko family and their loved ones as they grieve the loss of Alexander," Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said in a statement. "We ask that the privacy of Andrei and the Kuzmenko family be respected at this time.
"Andrei chose to be surrounded by his teammates and practise with the team this morning before returning to Moscow to be with his family this afternoon. Andrei and the Kuzmenko family have the full support of the Penguins organization during this time."
The Penguins are Andrei Kuzmenko's fifth NHL team after he signed a one-year deal with the club on July 1.
Kuzmenko made his NHL debut in the 2022-23 season with the Vancouver Canucks after a prolific KHL career.
Over a 271-game NHL career between the Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings, the 30-year-old has 85 goals and 182 points.
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