MIAMI — Konstantin Koltsov, a former forward for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins who was working as a coach in the KHL, has died in Florida, authorities revealed on Tuesday. He was 42.
Detective Argemis Colome of the Miami-Dade Police confirmed Koltsov’s death in a statement sent to The Associated Press. Police indicated that the death appeared to be a suicide and no foul play was suspected.
Koltsov worked as an assistant coach for Salavat Yulaev Ufa during the last two seasons. He also served as an assistant for the men’s national team of Belarus, his home country.
Selected in the first round of the 1999 NHL draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Koltsov began his professional career in North America in the AHL with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2002.
Recognized for his speed on the ice, he played in parts of three seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, participating in 86 regular season games and tallying 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points. He also played in 30 playoff games for the AHL Penguins, registering eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton extended their heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and fans, while also mentioning that Koltsov “was also responsible for one of the most famous moments in team history, his Game Seven overtime goal against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers during the opening round of the 2004 Calder Cup Playoffs.”
Koltsov appeared in 144 NHL games for Pittsburgh from 2003-06, scoring 12 goals and 26 assists. Pittsburgh also released a statement expressing sympathies to Koltsov’s family and friends.
Dmitry Baskov, the coach of the Belarus national team, described Koltsov’s death as “an irreparable loss.”
“Konstantin was one of the undisputed leaders of our team, a talented progressive coach, a bright player,” Baskov stated in a message. “He was an example of resilience, hard work, dedication, and an inspiration for many Belarusian boys and his colleagues. It’s difficult and unjust when such individuals depart so early.”
Koltsov spent the majority of his career in the Russian Superleague, which evolved into the KHL, concluding with Dynamo Minsk in 2015-16 before transitioning into coaching. Salavat Yulaev Ufa expressed grief over Koltsov's passing, who achieved a Gagarin Cup championship with the team as a player in 2010-11.
“He was a strong and joyful individual, he was adored and respected by players, colleagues, and fans,” the team mentioned in a statement. “(Koltsov) has permanently left his mark on the history of our club.”
Koltsov had been in a relationship with second-ranked women’s tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, who was set to compete in the Miami Open tournament that commenced on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the Miami Open stated late on Tuesday afternoon that Sabalenka had not withdrawn from the event.
As one of the 32 seeded players in the women’s bracket, Sabalenka received a first-round bye. She is scheduled to make her debut in the 2024 edition of the tournament in the second round on Thursday, where she would face Paula Badosa, who defeated two-time major champion Simona Halep on Tuesday.
Messages sent to Sabalenka’s publicist were not promptly returned.
Sabalenka, a 25-year-old from Belarus who secured the Australian Open title in January for her second consecutive win at Melbourne Park, was featured in the Netflix docuseries “Break Point,” speaking passionately about the passing of her father when he was in his early 40s.
