Konstantin Koltsov, a former Pittsburgh Penguin and boyfriend of tennis star Aryna Sabalenka, has died, according to his Russian hockey team.
He was 42 years old.
“He was a strong and cheerful person,” said officials for Salavat Yulaev, Koltsov’s Russian squad. “He was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club.
“May he rest in peace.”
Belarus Konstantin Koltsov celebrates his team’s first goal in front of Russian goalkeeper Ilya Bryzgalov during their quarter-final game at the 2009 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships in Bern on May 6, 2009. Konstantin Koltsov, the boyfriend of two-time tennis Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka and a former ice hockey player, has died aged 42, the Belarusian hockey federation said on March 19, 2024. (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
The circumstances of Koltsov’s death have not been publicly released.
The Belarusian native got his start in the NHL in 1999 when he became the 18th overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL Draft. He worked his way through the ranks and eventually played for Pittsburgh at various points between the 2002 and 2006 seasons.
After his pro hockey days in America, Koltsov played for the Russian squad Salavat Yulaev and served as an assistant coach for the same team after his playing days were over.
Koltsov gained notoriety again after entering into a romantic relationship with Belarusian tennis star Aryna Sabalenka in 2021.
Koltsov is believed to have died in Miami, where Sabalenka was preparing to play in this weekend’s Miami Open.