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Koltsov competes in the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championship in Vienna, Austria.
CNN
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Konstantin Koltsov, a former professional ice hockey player from Belarus and partner of tennis player Alina Sabalenka, has died at the age of 42, Russian club Salavat Yulaev announced.
A forward, Koltsov represented Belarus at the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics and also spent three seasons in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2002 to 2006.
He worked as a coach for Salavat Yulaev, with whom he spent part of his playing days, with whom he won the team's first Russian championship title in 2008.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Salavat Yulaev coach Konstantin Koltsov,” the club said in a statement on Tuesday.
“He was a strong and cheerful person, loved and respected by players, colleagues and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever etched his name in the history of our club.”
Koltsov's cause of death has not been announced.
Koltsov regularly travels to tennis tournaments around the world with Sabalenka, who won her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year.
In a 2022 Instagram post, Sabalenka described Koltsov as “the best man in the world” and added, “[s] I'm happy every day. ” According to People magazine, the two started dating in June 2021.
The world No. 2 lost in the fourth round at Indian Wells in California last week and will play at the Miami Open later this week.
