Which Sport Did Aryna Sabalenka’s Late Boyfriend Play? Everything to Know About His American Sporting Stint

Aryna Sabalenka is currently in a terrible ordeal, and her fans are trying to support her. The Belarusian star has reportedly lost her boyfriend as he passed away recently. Sabalenka and her boyfriend were a sporting couple and have shown us several sweet moments throughout their careers. Unfortunately, we have lost the former hockey player, as the news is yet to be confirmed by sources close to Koltsov.

Koltsov had a decorated career and retired in 2016. He was a key player for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the team misses him dearly. On the news of his demise, let’s take a look at his career. Koltsov was a member of the Belarus national team, representing them in international games such as the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics. 

Early life of Aryna Sabalenka’s boyfriend

Born in Minsk, Belarus, in the same hometown as Sabalenka, Koltsov dreamt of becoming a great hockey player one day. His dream would come true as Koltsov began his career with Junactva Minsk in Belarus’ first division in 1997-98 before moving to Russian Severstal Cherepovets the following season.

Due to his remarkable speed and stick handling, he was nicknamed the “Russian Rocket II” since his playing style was similar to that of Russian great Pavel Bure. He would eventually move on to the NHL, where he spent a long time.

NHL Career

In the first round of the 1999 draft, he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He appeared in 144 games for the Penguins before leaving the league in 2006. In the 2002-03 season, he played for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, then in the 2003-04 season, he began playing full-time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, appearing in 82 games and scoring nine goals and twenty assists. Koltsov would go to Russia to play for the Spartak Moscow during the NHL lockout in 2003-04. 

The following season, Koltsov bounced between Wilkes-Barre and Pittsburgh until January, when he returned to the NHL and finished with three goals and six assists. Koltsov, however, became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2006, since the Penguins did not issue a qualifying offer. In August of that year, he returned to Russia and signed a deal with the Russian Super League club Salavat Yulaev Ufa.

Moving to Russia

During the 2007–08 RSL season, Koltsov would be a part of a Salavat Yulaev Ufa club that would overcome Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to earn the RSL League Title. Salavat Yulaev Ufa became the final-standing RSL champion after the league was merged into the newly formed Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) at the start of the 2008-09 season. 

He formerly played for Severstal Cherepovets, Yunost Minsk, Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Ak Bars Kazan, Spartak Moscow, Pittsburgh Penguins, Dinamo Minsk, Salavat Yulaev Ufa, and Atlant Moscow Oblast. He retired from professional ice hockey in 2016, having played for 18 seasons. After retirement, Koltsov served as the coach of Salavat Yulaev Ufa as well as the head coach of the Belarusian National team. 

Demise

Fans of Sabalenka were in shock when they heard the news. Hockey fans also mourned the passing away of the former player. At the moment, the news has not been confirmed by sources close to Sabalenka or Koltsov. However, several Belarusian media sources have published the news, giving much weight to it. 

Read More – REPORTS: Devastating News As Aryna Sabalenka’s 42-Year-Old Boyfriend Passes Away in Miami