Former NHL Pittsburgh Penguin’s star Konstantin Koltsov has died, according to his former Russian hockey club Salavat Yulaev. He was 42.
The Miami-Dade police department has labeled the Koltsov’s death an “apparent suicide” and said that “no foul play is suspected,” the New York Post reported.
Police and emergency personnel said they were called out in the early morning hours on Monday to the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort in Miami Beach, Florida, after a man had jumped from a balcony.
“It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away,” the team said in a statement.
“He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans,” the statement added. “Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club.”
“Koltsov won the Russian Championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev, and did a great job on the team’s coaching staff,” the statement continued. “May his memory burn bright.”
Tennis world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend Konstantin Koltsov jumped from a balcony of a five-star hotel and ‘died by suicide’ in Miami, police say, despite reports in Belarus claiming he had a ‘blood clot’ https://t.co/ifWrAqUfmH pic.twitter.com/lWFCbostrh
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) March 19, 2024
Kolstov had been dating 25-year-old Belarusian professional tennis player Aryna Sabalenka. The pair had been together for three years after first being linked in 2021, the Daily Mail noted. The tennis star had been in Miami ahead of the Miami Open, where she is seeded second.
The Russian hockey player’s death comes five years after Sabalenka lost her father Sergey, who also played professional hockey, in 2019. He was 43.
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Over the last few years, the tennis star has posted pictures on Instagram of the two spending time together at various locations. In one post dated last April, from the hockey star’s birthday, she wrote, “I love you [koltsov2021]. Happy birthday my love.”
“You are my dearest person, my best friend and my strongest support,” the post added. “Peace be with you , strength, patience and health. I hope we will have everything we planned. I love you.”
On International Women’s Day, Koltsov took to his social media and posted pictures of Sabalenka and wrote, “Happy holiday, my love, I love you madly.”
In January, Kolstov was in Melbourne where he attended Sabalenka’s Australian Open victory, the Athletic noted.
Koltsov is believed to have three sons from his previous relationship with his ex-wife, the Daily Mail noted.
