BREAKING: Former Penguin Sadly Passes Away at the Young Age of 42

Former NHLer and Olympian Konstantin Koltsov has reportedly passed away at the age of 42, according to multiple media reports out of Belarus. The news has not yet been confirmed by other media.

Koltsov, drafted 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft, spent three seasons with the Penguins from 2002-06, with 12 goals, 26 assists & 38 points in 144 career NHL games.

After leaving the NHL to return to Russia, having played for Spartak Moscow during the NHL lockout, Koltsov played for multiple teams in the KHL from 2006 until his retirement in 2016 for hometown Dinamo Minsk.




To tennis fans, Koltsov was also known by as the boyfriend of tennis star and former women's world #1 champion Aryna Sabalenka, currently the 2nd ranked women's tennis player in the WTA.

Internationally, Koltsov was a mainstay for the Belarusian national team, having appeared in the Olympic team in 2002 and 2010, and a multi-time representative at the IIHF World Championship.