Penguins Forward Andrei Kuzmenko Switches Jersey Number to Honor Late Father
Kuzmenko will now wear No. 62, a number significant to his father who died in a bear attack.
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko has changed his jersey number to 62 to honor his father, Alexander, who died last month in a bear attack in Siberia. Kuzmenko revealed the personal significance of the number during a media availability.
His father was 62 years old at the time of his death. His mother was born in 1962. Kuzmenko had previously worn No. 96 throughout his NHL career with previous teams, including the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, and Los Angeles Kings. Upon signing with the Penguins, he had intended to wear No. 10.
Kuzmenko described the circumstances of his father's death, stating that his father was on a fishing trip with friends when a bear attacked. "My father fight (the) bear one hour, 10 minutes and he still lived after two days," Kuzmenko told reporters. He also expressed gratitude for the support he has received following the tragedy.
Kuzmenko joined the Penguins after playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has played in 271 NHL games, accumulating 182 points with 85 goals and 97 assists.