Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Konstantin Koltsov dies at 42

A former player who spent parts of his career in the National Hockey League has died.

On Monday, Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Kontintental Hockey League announced that assistant coach Konstantin Kolstov passed away at the age of 42.

Kolstov, born in Minsk, Belarus, in 1981, has been with Salavat Yulaev for the past three seasons behind the bench. He also played in Ufa for six of his 17 professional seasons, helping the team win its first league championship in 2008, winning the Gagarian Cup with Salavat Yulaev in 2011.

“He was a strong and cheerful person,” the club said in a statement. “He was loved and respected by players, colleagues, fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever written himself in the history of our club.”

Kolstov is remembered in North America for his three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was up and down between Pittsburgh and its American Hockey League affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He was with the organization from 2002-04, then returned to the team for one season following the 2004-05 work stoppage, playing 60 games during Sidney Crosby’s rookie season.

“The Penguins extend their deepest condolences to the family and friends of former Penguins forward, Konstantin Kolstov,” the Penguins wrote on social media on Tuesday.

Kolstov played 144 games in the NHL, scoring 12 goals and 26 assists. In 116 appearances with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, he registered 24 goals and 45 assists.

He also represented his country many times over his career, playing in various international tournaments for Belarus, including the 2002 and 2010 Olympics.

Kolstov began his coaching career with his hometown Dinamo Minsk of the KHL, the team he ended his playing career with in 2016, in 2017.

Kolstov had been a noticeable figure around the professional tennis circuit, as he was the partner of Grand Slam champion, Aryna Sabalenka.

The cause of death has not been announced.