Penguins' Kuzmenko to Wear No. 62 to Honor Father

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko will switch from No. 10 to No. 62 this season to honor his father, Alexander, who died in a bear attack in Russia last week at age 62, according to ESPN. The number change was confirmed Friday as Kuzmenko returned to practice in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, for the first time since attending his father's funeral in Moscow.

Why is Kuzmenko changing his jersey number?

Kuzmenko told reporters Friday that his father's death was a "big shock," per ESPN. The forward had worn No. 10 since joining the Penguins, but he informed the team he wanted the switch to 62 before Pittsburgh's home opener this weekend. He had been away from the club attending the funeral in Moscow before rejoining practice Friday.

What happened to Alexander Kuzmenko?

Russian outlet Ren.tv reported, as cited by ESPN, that Alexander Kuzmenko was killed by a bear during a fishing trip last week in the Tyva section of Siberia. The animal emerged from a nearby wooded area and bit him in the head, causing extensive tissue damage, according to the report. He was airlifted to a hospital in Kyzyl, the capital of the Tuva Republic, but medical interventions were unsuccessful, and he was later pronounced dead, ESPN reported.

Why 62 specifically?

The number carries a double meaning for Kuzmenko. His father was 62 when he died, and Kuzmenko also noted Friday that his mother was born in 1962, according to ESPN. By choosing 62 over his previous No. 10, Kuzmenko ties the new number to both parents rather than to a single date or statistic tied only to his father.

The gesture follows a pattern common across professional hockey, where players occasionally alter jersey numbers mid-career to mark a death in the family, a birth, or a milestone. ESPN's report does not indicate whether Kuzmenko consulted the Penguins' equipment staff on timing beyond confirming the switch ahead of this weekend's schedule.

When will fans first see No. 62 on the ice?

The Penguins host the Montreal Canadiens in their home opener Saturday, per ESPN, which would mark Kuzmenko's first game back since the funeral and the presumed debut of the new number in a Pittsburgh sweater. ESPN's report, credited to ESPN News Services with contributions from ESPN's Kristen Shilton and The Associated Press, did not specify whether the Penguins plan any pregame acknowledgment of the tribute.

What to watch

• Whether Kuzmenko is in the lineup for Saturday's home opener against Montreal, and how he performs in his first game back from the funeral.
• Whether the Penguins make any formal in-arena acknowledgment of the number change or the circumstances behind it.
• Any additional detail from Russian authorities or outlets on the attack in the Tyva section of Siberia, since ESPN's account relies on the Ren.tv report.
• Further comment from Kuzmenko himself as the season progresses and he settles into wearing 62 full time.

No additional NHL statement or Penguins organizational release was included in the source material beyond the practice-facility remarks Kuzmenko gave Friday. ESPN's report did not include comment from Pittsburgh's coaching staff or general manager on the number switch, nor did it detail any league paperwork required to formalize the change before Saturday's game.

The episode adds a personal note to a Penguins season that opens at home against a Montreal team still rebuilding its own roster. For Kuzmenko, the shift from 10 to 62 is less about on-ice branding than about carrying a family marker onto the ice during a week he spent largely away from the rink, first in Moscow and then back in western Pennsylvania preparing to play again.

Where was this story first reported?

ESPN published its account Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, at 6:40 p.m. ET, datelined Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, where the Penguins conduct practices away from PPG Paints Arena. The byline credits ESPN News Services as the lead reporting unit, with additional contributions from ESPN's Kristen Shilton and The Associated Press. No Pittsburgh-based outlet or Penguins beat writer is cited independently in the material reviewed, meaning the single ESPN dispatch currently serves as the primary record of both the jersey-number decision and the underlying account of Alexander Kuzmenko's death.

That dateline detail matters for context: Kuzmenko gave his remarks on the number change at the Penguins' practice facility rather than at PPG Paints Arena, suggesting the conversation took place informally as he reintegrated with teammates rather than during a scheduled media availability tied to Saturday's opener. ESPN's report does not indicate whether additional outlets were present for those comments or whether Kuzmenko spoke to Russian-language media separately about his father's death beyond the Ren.tv account of the attack itself.

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