Konstantin Koltsov, a former Pittsburgh Penguin, died Mar. 19, 2024. He had played for both the Penguins and Belarus national team and was only 42 at the time of his death.

Koltsov was born Apr. 17, 1981, in the then USSR. He began his playing career in 1997, playing for the Belarus first division, or the Belarus National Hockey League. Due to his skill, he would soon move to a prominent Russian team in the 1998 season. He quickly gained a reputation for both his speed and skill in handling and maneuvering his stick, which would later lead to him being picked in the first round of the 1999 NHL draft. He played an in-between season with the AHL, or the league below the NHL, in 2002 to 2003. He began his tenure with the Penguins in the 2003-2004 season. After his second season in 2006, he moved back to Russia to compete in their league until 2011, after playing a total of 144 games over his NHL career. Koltsov officially retired from competitive play in 2016, after which he would go on to help coach the Belarus Olympic hockey team. 

Miami-Dade police were called in the early morning of Mar. 18, 2024, to the St. Regis Bal Harbor Resort after someone reported a suicide from one of the hotel’s balconies. Koltsov was later identified, and police have reported no foul play is suspected in his death and ruled it a suicide. As of this time, it is not known the exact reason for this action from Koltsov. He was in Miami to attend the Miami Open and support Aryna Sabalenka, a former girlfriend and top tennis player. 

His Russian team has extended their condolences to his family, as well as speaking on the intense positive effect Koltsov had on the team while both a player and a coach. The team’s statement described him as, “a strong and cheerful player…loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans…”.

Koltsov leaves behind three children, Daniel, Alexander, and Stefan, along with his former spouse Julia Milahilova. Sabalenka has expressed her own grief in a recent instagram post, saying, “…my heart is broken. Please respect my privacy and his family’s privacy during this difficult time.”