"So funny, especially with his accent": Ryan Whitney mourns Konstantin Koltsov's death by remembering their Penguins days

Former NHLer Ryan Whitney has reflected on the death of Konstantin Koltsov by reminiscing about their time together with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Konstantin Koltsov, known for his impressive speed on the ice, breathed his last at the age of 42, as announced by the Russian team Salavat Yulaev in a statement on Tuesday.

Ryan Whitney, Koltsov's Pittsburgh teammate, expressed his sorrow on X about the Belarusian forward's passing.

Whitney wrote that Kolstov was not only one of the fastest skaters he had the opportunity to play with but was also a humorous personality, especially with his accent and chirps:

"This is horrible news. Played with Koltsy for a couple years in Wilkes Barre and Pittsburgh. One of the fastest skaters I’ve ever seen and so funny. Especially with his accent and words he would use to chirp me. This is terrible. Thinking of his family at this awful time"

Konstantin Koltsov was the boyfriend of tennis player Aryna Sabalenka. Although it's not clear when they started dating, they made their relationship public in 2021.

The Belarusian forward had a notable career, spending three years in the National Hockey League and playing 144 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

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Konstantin Koltsov's career stats

Pittsburgh Penguins v Toronto Maple Leafs

Koltsov began his professional career in Minsk, Belarus' first division, during the 1997–98 season. Renowned for his incredible speed, he was nicknamed the "Russian Rocket II" due to his playing style being similar with Pavel Burre, also known as the "Russian Rocket."

Konstantin Koltsov was drafted 18th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1999 NHL draft. In the 2002–03 season, the Belarusian forward spent his time playing with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the AHL. The next season, in 2002–03, he made his debut for the Penguins.

Koltsov accumulated 38 points through 12 goals and 26 assists in 144 games during his brief three-year stint with the Penguins. He also represented the Belarus national team in the 2002 and 2010 Olympics and won the Russian Super League title with Salavat Yulaev in 2008. He served as the coach of the team most recently.

Overall, he competed professionally for 18 years before retiring in 2016.