Konstantin Koltsov
Koltsov with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in 2004
Born (1981-04-17)April 17, 1981
Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, Soviet Union
Died March 18, 2024(2024-03-18) (aged 42)
Bal Harbour, Miami, Florida, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Left
Played for Severstal Cherepovets
Yunost Minsk
Metallurg Novokuznetsk
Ak Bars Kazan
Spartak Moscow
Pittsburgh Penguins
Dinamo Minsk
Salavat Yulaev Ufa
Atlant Moscow Oblast
National team  Belarus
NHL Draft 18th overall, 1999
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 1998–2016

Konstantin Yevgeniyevich Koltsov (Belarusian: Канстанцін Яўгенавіч Кальцоў, romanized: Kanstancin Jaŭhienavič Kaĺcoŭ; April 17, 1981 – March 18, 2024) was a Belarusian professional ice hockey player. He played parts of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 2002 and 2006. Internationally, Koltsov played for the Belarusian national team at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics and at nine World Championships. He served as an assistant coach for Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the Kontinental Hockey League as well as head coach for the Belarusian national team.

Early life

Koltsov was born on April 17, 1981, in Minsk, Byelorussian SSR, USSR (present-day Belarus).[1][2] He was raised there and at an early age pursued a dream to become a professional hockey player.[2][3]

He was born to Alexander and Natalia Koltsov who are both parents who ensured life was smooth.

Playing career

Koltsov started playing for Junactva Minsk in the Belarusian 1st division during the 1997–98 season and moved to the Russian team Severstal Cherepovets for the next season.[3] Due to his speed and stick handling, he was often referred to as the "Russian Rocket II" because of his similar playing style to that of Russian great Pavel Bure.[3]

Koltsov was drafted to the NHL in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft as the Pittsburgh Penguins' first round pick, 18th overall.[4][5] He played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL in the 2002–03 season and started playing full-time for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003–04 season, playing 82 games and scoring nine goals and 20 assists.[6]

During the 2004–05 NHL lockout, Koltsov played for the Spartak Moscow hockey team, scoring six goals in 31 games.[3][7]

The following season, Koltsov moved between Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh until January, after which he stayed in the NHL until the end of the season, finishing with three goals and six assists.[3] As a result of the Penguins not extending a qualifying offer, Koltsov became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2006.[3] In August 2006, he returned to Russia, signing to play for Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Super League.[3]

During the 2007–08 RSL season, Koltsov was part of a Salavat Yulaev Ufa squad that defeated Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to capture the RSL league title.[3] With the absorption of the RSL into the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League at the start of the 2008–09 season, Salavat Yulaev Ufa would become the last standing RSL champion.[3][8] With Salavat Yulaev Ufa, Koltsov won the Gagarin Cup throughout the 2010–11 season.[9]

On November 27, 2016, Koltsov retired from professional hockey after competing for 18 seasons.[10] He became an assistant for the Belarusian men's hockey team and also worked as the assistant coach of Salavat Yulaev Ufa, where he served for two seasons prior to his death.[9]

International play

Internationally, Koltsov played on the Belarus national team in the Winter Olympics and IIHF World Championships.[4]

Personal life and death

Koltsov had three children with his former wife, Julia. They divorced in 2020.[11][12] He began publicly dating Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka in June 2021.[13] Koltsov and Sabalenka were separated at the time of his death.[14]

Koltsov's former club Salavat Yulaev announced his death on March 18, 2024. He was 42.[15] The Miami-Dade Police Department said it was an apparent suicide and that Koltsov had jumped from a balcony at The St. Regis Bal Harbour.[16]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM Ref.
1997–98 Severstal Cherepovets RSL 2 0 0 0 2 4 1 0 1 0 [7]
1997–98 Severstal–2 Cherepovets RUS.3 44 11 12 23 16 — — — — — [7]
1998–99 Severstal Cherepovets RSL 33 3 0 3 8 1 0 0 0 2 [17]
1998–99 Severstal–2 Cherepovets RUS.3 2 0 1 1 2 — — — — — [7]
1998–99 Yunost Minsk BLR 4 1 4 5 2 — — — — — [7]
1998–99 Yunost Minsk EEHL 5 3 4 7 2 — — — — — [7]
1999–2000 Metallurg Novokuznetsk RSL 31 3 4 7 12 11 1 1 2 6 [7]
2000–01 Ak Bars Kazan RSL 24 7 8 15 10 2 0 0 0 4 [7]
2001–02 Ak Bars Kazan RSL 10 1 2 3 2 — — — — — [7]
2001–02 Spartak Moscow RSL 22 1 0 1 12 — — — — — [7]
2001–02 Spartak–2 Moscow RUS.3 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — [7]
2002–03 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 65 9 21 30 41 6 2 4 6 4 [17]
2002–03 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — [18]
2003–04 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 82 9 20 29 30 — — — — — [18]
2003–04 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 3 0 4 4 4 24 6 11 17 1 [17]
2004–05 Dinamo Minsk BLR 11 6 2 8 38 — — — — — [7]
2004–05 Spartak Moscow RSL 31 6 10 16 48 — — — — — [7]
2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 60 3 6 9 20 — — — — — [18]
2005–06 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 18 7 5 12 13 — — — — — [17]
2006–07 Salavat Yulaev Ufa RSL 54 14 11 25 43 8 1 1 2 2 [17]
2007–08 Salavat Yulaev Ufa RSL 37 12 10 22 27 14 3 1 4 4 [17]
2008–09 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 42 8 7 15 14 4 0 2 2 0 [17]
2009–10 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 48 8 17 25 28 16 3 1 4 2 [17]
2010–11 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 32 4 11 15 16 — — — — — [17]
2011–12 Salavat Yulaev Ufa KHL 51 1 11 12 20 6 0 0 0 2 [7]
2012–13 Atlant Mytishchi KHL 52 6 6 12 26 5 0 0 0 0 [17]
2013–14 Atlant Mytishchi KHL 54 11 10 21 22 — — — — — [17]
2014–15 Atlant Mytishchi KHL 34 2 1 3 20 — — — — — [17]
2014–15 Ak Bars Kazan KHL 19 0 2 2 7 20 3 3 6 4 [17]
2015–16 Dinamo Minsk KHL 43 3 7 10 14 — — — — — [17]
NHL totals 144 12 26 38 50 — — — — — [18]
RSL totals 244 47 44 91 164 40 6 3 9 18
KHL totals 375 43 73 116 167 51 6 6 12 8

International

Year Team Event   GP G A Pts PIM8 Ref.
1999 Belarus WJC 6 4 3 7 30 [7]
1999 Belarus WJC18 B 5 5 2 7 0 [7]
1999 Belarus WC 6 0 0 0 4 [7]
2000 Belarus WJC B 5 3 1 4 2 [7]
2001 Belarus WJC 6 4 1 5 2 [7]
2001 Belarus OGQ 3 2 0 2 0 [7]
2001 Belarus WC 6 0 0 0 4 [7]
2002 Belarus OG 2 0 0 0 0 [7]
2002 Belarus WC D1 5 7 1 8 2 [7]
2005 Belarus OGQ 2 0 0 0 0 [7]
2005 Belarus WC 6 3 3 6 2 [7]
2007 Belarus WC 3 2 2 4 2 [7]
2008 Belarus WC 3 1 2 3 0 [7]
2009 Belarus WC 5 1 0 1 2 [7]
2010 Belarus OG 4 0 2 2 0 [7]
2012 Belarus WC 7 2 0 2 8 [7]
2013 Belarus OGQ 3 1 0 1 0 [7]
2013 Belarus WC 7 2 0 2 0 [7]
2014 Belarus WC 5 0 0 0 0 [7]
Junior totals 22 16 7 23 34
Senior totals 67 21 10 31 24

Awards and honours

Source:[19]

References

  1. ^ Burack, Emily (March 19, 2024). "Who Is Aryna Sabalenka's Boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov?". Town & Country. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b McBride, Jessica (March 19, 2024). "Cause of Death for Pro Tennis Champ's Boyfriend Revealed After Florida Hotel Balcony Tragedy". Heavy.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Gaba, Ripunjay (March 19, 2024). "Which Sport Did Aryna Sabalenka's Late Boyfriend Play? Everything to Know About His American Sporting Stint". EssentiallySports. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Neal, David J. (March 19, 2024). "Boyfriend of a top-seeded Miami Open player jumped from a Bal Harbour hotel, cops say". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Molinari, Dave (June 27, 1999). "Penguins draft picks at a glance". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 49. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Darnay, Mike (March 19, 2024). "Former Penguins player Konstantin Kolstov dead at the age of 42". CBS Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag "Konstantin Koltsov". Eurohockey. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  8. ^ "Konstantin Koltsov". www.eurosport.com. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Retired Belarusian hockey player Konstantin Koltsov dies in Florida at 42". ABC News. March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024 – via Associated Press.
  10. ^ "Konstantin Koltsov has retired" (in Russian). by.tribuna.com. November 27, 2016. Archived from the original on November 28, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  11. ^ Burack, Emily (September 7, 2023). "Who Is Aryna Sabalenka's Boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov?". Town & Country. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Супруга тренера по хоккею Кольцова рассказала о расставании. При чем тут Соболенко?". minsknews.by (in Belarusian). April 29, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  13. ^ Ellis, Sydni (January 28, 2024). "Who Is Aryna Sabalenka's Boyfriend? All About Konstantin Koltsov". People. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  14. ^ Carayol, Tumaini (March 20, 2024). "'My heart is broken': Sabalenka asks for privacy after death of former partner". The Guardian. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  15. ^ "Konstantin Koltsov, former NHL player and boyfriend of Sabalenka, dead at 42". Reuters. March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  16. ^ Butler, Alex (March 19, 2024). "Ex-NHL winger Konstantin Koltsov, boyfriend of tennis star Sabalenka, dies at 42". United Press International. Archived from the original on March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 19, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Konstantin Koltsov". International Hockey Database. Archived from the original on January 18, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  18. ^ a b c d "Konstantin Koltsov Stats". NHL. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  19. ^ Sharma, Vanshika (January 27, 2023). "Who is Konstantin Koltsov boyfriend of Aryna Sabalenka, his age, girlfriend, son, net worth". The SportsGrail. Archived from the original on July 8, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.

External links

Awards and achievements Preceded byMilan Kraft Pittsburgh Penguins first round draft pick 1999 Succeeded byBrooks Orpik
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