Former Pittsburgh Penguins player Konstantin Koltsov has passed away at the young age of 42 after committing suicide in in Florida.
The Miami-Dade Police Department issued a statement Tuesday indicating that the Belarus native died of an “apparent suicide.”
Koltsov’s Russian hockey club released a statement after his passing.
“He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club,” the statement said. “May he rest in peace.”
A first-round pick of the Penguins back in 1999, Koltsov played parts of three seasons with the team. He recorded 12 goals and 26 assists in 144 games. He was also part of the Belarussian national team that competed in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics.
Konstantin Koltsov Was Dating Tennis Star Aryna Sabalenka
Not only does this news hit the hockey world hard, but it also has a major impact on tennis. Koltsov started dating World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka back in 2021. The two were extremely active on social media.
Koltsov was seen frequenting Sabalenka’s tennis matches, including her win at the Australian Open back in January. She’s slated to compete at the Miami Open starting on Friday.
Here is a news report on the young man’s passing.