Andrei Kuzmenko is all smiles early into his tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 28-year-old is still getting used to his new roots, having been acquired along with Jakob Pelletier in a trade from the Calgary Flames that saw Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost head the other way.
So far, so good for Kuzmenko in his new home, as he logged an assist in his first game as a Flyer prior to the 4 Nations Face-Off break, and was able to put home his first goal today in a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers.
Andrei Kuzmenko scores his first as a Flyer 🧡 pic.twitter.com/AsKfRQUI4f
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 22, 2025
Despite struggling this season prior to the trade, Kuzmenko was a popular player amongst Flames fans for his infectious personality. That same personality also garnered him quite the following during his time with the Vancouver Canucks, and was on full display when speaking with Flyers reporters after today’s game.
“Surprise goal,” said a giggling Kuzmenko. “Funny moment, funny shift. Because after the first moment I have a broken stick, I say ‘okay, I’ll go to the bench.’ Then I say, ‘Can you please pass the stick.’ It takes a couple seconds and I say, ‘Please, please, please.’”
Kuzmenko then explained that his stick broke once again after tipping a shot pass from Travis Konecny on the power play. He was devastated for a partial second, before realizing it didn’t matter as the puck had already went in.
“It was the first time in my life [I’ve scored] such a funny goal,” Kuzmenko said. “It was a bit of emotion because I had two broken sticks. Funny shift.”
Andrei Kuzmenko can’t stop giggling talking about his “surprise goal” today 😂😂#Flyers pic.twitter.com/DKaoJe39X1
— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) February 22, 2025
Despite being a highly-skilled player, Kuzmenko wound up wearing out his welcome during his time in Vancouver and Calgary. Many questioned how he would jive with John Tortorella, a notoriously hard-nosed coach, but so far, it seems as though things are going quite well between the pair.
“The encouraging thing to me is that [when] I think he makes a couple mistakes defensively, I correct him on the bench as we’re playing. [The] same types of plays come to him, and he makes the corrections … He adds some skill, adds some enthusiasm. Seems like a really good kid,” Tortorella said.
“Judging from what I’ve seen in the short time I’ve had him, I think he’s very coachable.”
Kuzmenko is currently set to become an unrestricted free agent at seasons end, but if he continues to impress in Philadelphia, he may be able to earn himself an extension to ensure he’s back in the NHL in 2025-26.
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