Former Penguins forward Konstantin Koltsov dies at 42

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Konstantin Koltsov has died at the age of 42.

According to the Associated Press, the Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement that no foul play is suspected and his death was an apparent suicide.

Salavat Yulaev Ufa, a team in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) announced Koltsov’s death on Tuesday but did not elaborate on the circumstances. Koltsov had been an assistant coach with that team since 2022.

“He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans,” the team said in a statement. “(Koltsov) forever wrote himself into the history of our club.”

A native of Minsk, Belarus, Koltsov was the Penguins’ first-round selection (No. 19 overall) in the 1999 NHL Draft. Making his NHL debut in 2003, Koltsov spent parts of three seasons — his entire NHL career — with the Penguins at the NHL level.

A teammate of franchise pillars Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby, Koltsov appeared in 144 career games and scored 38 points (12 goals, 26 assists).

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After the 2005-06 season, Koltsov returned to Europe and spent the next 11 seasons playing in Russia.

Internationally, Koltsov played for Belarus in the 2002 and 2010 Olympics. He also served as an assistant coach for the the Belarusian men’s national team.

National team coach Dmitry Baskov called Koltsov’s death “an irreparable loss.”

“Konstantin was one of the undisputable leaders of our team, a talented progressive coach, a bright player,” Baskov said in a statement. “He was an example of sturdiness, hard work, dedication and an idol for many Belarusian boys and his colleagues. It’s hard and unfair when such people leave so early.”

Away from the rink, Koltsov dated professional tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, winner of the Australian Open in January.

The Associated Press contributed.