Former NHL Player Konstantin Koltsov Dead at 42

Michal Kamaryt/AP

Former NHL player Konstantin Koltsov died in what police have ruled an apparent suicide in South Florida, ESPN reported Tuesday. The boyfriend of top tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, Koltsov was 42.

According to a statement, Bal Harbour Police and Fire Rescue responded to reports of a man jumping off a balcony at the St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort early Monday morning. The Miami-Dade Police Department said its homicide bureau had taken over the investigation, but no foul play is suspected.

Koltsov was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 18th pick in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He played in three seasons with the team between 2002 and 2006. He also played for the Belarusian national team in the 2002 and 2010 Olympics.

Most of his playing career was in Russia, where he played six seasons with Russian club Salavat Yulaev Ufa of the Russian Superleague — now known as the Kontinental Hockey League. He also played for Atlant Mytishchi and Ak Bars Kazan before ending his career with Dinamo Minsk.

In recent years, Koltsov had been coaching. He was an assistant for both Salavat Yulaev Ufa and the Belarusian national team.

“Konstantin was one of the undisputable leaders of our team, a talented progressive coach, a bright player,” national team coach Dmitry 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.”