Content warning: This article discusses content discussing suicide. If you or a loved one need help, visit any of the resources at the bottom of the article.
Former NHL’ers Konstantin Koltsov and Chris Simon have died in recent days, with police in Miami-Dade calling the death of Koltsov a suicide.
Koltsov was drafted 18th overall in the 1999 draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins and spent parts of three seasons in the league. He scored 12 goals and 38 points in 144 games, including a career-best year in 2003-04 with nine goals and 29 points in a full 82-game season. After the 2005-06 season, he spent the rest of his career in the Kontinental Hockey League before retiring in 2015-16.
Most recently, the 42-year-old worked as an assistant coach for the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, and was named head coach of the Belarus’ men’s team.
Also dying Tuesday was former enforcer Chris Simon, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported.
The 52-year-old was drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1990 draft and was involved in the Eric Lindros trade that sent the future Hall of Famer to the Flyers, while the Québec Nordiques received a package that’d help them win the Stanley Cup in the 1995-96 season. Simon had an additional Stanley Cup run with the Calgary Flames during the 2004 Stanley Cup Final.
More than just an enforcer, Simon scored 144 career goals and 305 career points in 782 games played and even led the Washington Capitals in the goal department in 1999-2000 with 29.
Rick Nash named general manager for Canada
On Tuesday, Hockey Canada announced that former NHL’er Rick Nash would serve as the General Manager of Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
The annual tournament runs from May 10 to May 26 this year, with 16 teams involved in the tournament, such as Great Britain, Poland, Kazakhstan, and France. Team Canada is the reigning champions, with Germany taking home the silver medal and Latvia taking home the bronze medal with an upset over the United States last year.
Nash was selected with the first overall pick in the 2002 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets and spent 15 seasons in the league with them, the New York Rangers, and the Boston Bruins. He scored 437 goals and 805 points in 1060 games, including three 40-goal seasons and eight 30-goal seasons.
Unfortunately, he never won a cup and retired at the age of 34 due to concussion issues.
In 2019, he joined the Blue Jackets as a special assistant to the general manager holding the role before he was named director of player development in 2021. In 2022, he served as an assistant general manager for the men’s World Championship Team alongside general manager Shane Doan.
Other notes:
Sean Couturier sits: Even though he was recently named captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, Sean Couturier was a healthy scratch against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday evening. The 31-year-old missed all of the 2022-23 season and a large chunk of the season prior, but has returned to action in 2023-24 with 11 goals and 36 points in 64 games. Flyers’ head coach John Tortorella treats all players equally and it’s evidently worked, as the “rebuilding” Flyers have been in a playoff position basically all season.
David Reinbacher heading to North America: Will the Montréal Canadiens rue the day they drafted David Reinbacher fifth-overall when Matvei Michkov was still on the board? It’s possible. This season for Kloten HC, one of the worst teams in Switzerland’s top league, the 19-year-old right-shot defenceman had one goal and 11 points in 35 games, down from three goals and 22 points in 46 games the season prior. Since the Swiss season has concluded this past week, the Canadiens have brought the Austrian across the pond to play for the Laval Rocket.
If you or someone you love is struggling, here are some numbers to help kickstart the process of getting better. Note: This is from Alberta Health Services.
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/amh/amh.aspx
Addiction Helpline: 1-866-332-2322
Mental Health Helpline: 1-877-303-2642
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