Russian ice hockey club Salavat Yulaev broke the news of Koltsov’s death with an official statement, which read: “It is with deep sorrow that we inform you that the coach of Salavat Yulaev, Konstantin Koltsov, has passed away.

“He was a strong and cheerful person, he was loved and respected by players, colleagues, and fans. Konstantin Evgenievich forever wrote himself into the history of our club. Koltsov won the Russian Championship and the Gagarin Cup as part of Salavat Yulaev and did a great job on the team’s coaching staff. May his memory burn bright.”

Koltsov represented Belarus at two Winter Olympics and made 144 appearances in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins during his hockey career. He was a coach at Salavat Yulaev at the time of his death.