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==Death==
==Death==
Kivlenieks died in [[Novi, Michigan]], on July 4, 2021, at the age of 24.<ref name="TSN">{{cite news |title=Blue Jackets G Kivlenieks dead at 24 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/columbus-blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-dead-at-24-1.1663959 |access-date=5 July 2021 |publisher=TSN}}</ref><ref name="Kaplan">{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Emily |title=Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, 24, dies in 'tragic accident' |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31764017/columbus-blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-24-dies-tragic-accident |access-date=5 July 2021 |publisher=ESPN}}</ref> The Blue Jackets said he died as the result of a "tragic accident", suffering an apparent head injury in a fall.<ref name="TSN" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks dies after accidental fall |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/07/05/blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-dies-after-accident-fall/7864590002/ |access-date=5 July 2021 |publisher=The Columbus Dispatch}}</ref>
Kivlenieks died in [[Novi, Michigan]], on July 4, 2021, at the age of 24.<ref name="TSN">{{cite news |title=Blue Jackets G Kivlenieks dead at 24 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/columbus-blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-dead-at-24-1.1663959 |access-date=5 July 2021 |publisher=TSN}}</ref><ref name="Kaplan">{{cite news |last1=Kaplan |first1=Emily |title=Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, 24, dies in 'tragic accident' |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/31764017/columbus-blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-24-dies-tragic-accident |access-date=5 July 2021 |publisher=ESPN}}</ref> The Blue Jackets said he died as the result of a "tragic accident", suffering an apparent head injury in a fall.<ref name="TSN" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks dies after accidental fall |url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets/2021/07/05/blue-jackets-goalie-matiss-kivlenieks-dies-after-accident-fall/7864590002/ |access-date=5 July 2021 |publisher=The Columbus Dispatch}}</ref> A firework malfunctioned, and Kivlenieks and some friends jumped out of their hot tub, where he slipped and hit his head on the concrete.


In a statement, team president [[John Davidson (ice hockey)|John Davidson]] said Kivlenieks "was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile and the impact he had during his four years with our organization will not be forgotten".<ref name="TSN" /><ref name="Kaplan" /> Former Blue Jackets captain [[Nick Foligno]] said Kivlenieks "didn't take one day for granted which makes this tragedy even more hard to bear!" <ref name="Kaplan" />
In a statement, team president [[John Davidson (ice hockey)|John Davidson]] said Kivlenieks "was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile and the impact he had during his four years with our organization will not be forgotten".<ref name="TSN" /><ref name="Kaplan" /> Former Blue Jackets captain [[Nick Foligno]] said Kivlenieks "didn't take one day for granted which makes this tragedy even more hard to bear!" <ref name="Kaplan" />

Revision as of 16:06, 5 July 2021

Matīss Kivlenieks
Born (1996-08-26)August 26, 1996
Riga, Latvia
Died July 4, 2021(2021-07-04) (aged 24)
Novi, Michigan, U.S.
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 178 lb (81 kg; 12 st 10 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Prizma Riga
Columbus Blue Jackets
National team  Latvia
NHL draft Undrafted
Playing career 2012–2021

Matīss Edmunds Kivlenieks (August 26, 1996 – July 4, 2021) was a Latvian professional ice hockey goaltender who played for Prizma Riga of the Latvian Hockey Higher League (LHL) and the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Latvia

Kivlenieks played for Prizma Riga in the season of 2011–12. That was his only season with the team, and he only played 1 game with a 9.52 GAA. They decided not to keep him, and he went to the Prizma U18 team, where he played as a third-in-line goaltender playing only 12 games, but had a 2.6 GAA.

Junior

With NHL ambitions, Kivlenieks opted to leave Latvia and continue his development in the North American junior leagues, initially joining the Forest Lake Lakers in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League.

Professional

At the end of the season with the Sioux City Musketeers, despite going undrafted, Kivlenieks signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets worth $2,497,500.[1] He started immediately the next season, joining the Blue Jackets, AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

During the 2019–20 season, Kivlenieks was recalled on multiple occasions to the Blue Jackets before starting in his NHL debut, earning his first NHL win in a 2–1 victory against the New York Rangers on 19 January 2020. He stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced and finished the night with a .969 save percentage.[2]

International play

Kivlenieks was first selected to the senior Latvian national team, serving as the third choice goaltender at the 2018 IIHF World Championship. He later made his World Championship debut with Latvia as the host country of the 2021 IIHF World Championship. Kivlenieks was used as the starting goaltender as he led Latvia to its first win over Canada and also its first loss against Kazakhstan during the group phase.

Death

Kivlenieks died in Novi, Michigan, on July 4, 2021, at the age of 24.[3][4] The Blue Jackets said he died as the result of a "tragic accident", suffering an apparent head injury in a fall.[3][5] A firework malfunctioned, and Kivlenieks and some friends jumped out of their hot tub, where he slipped and hit his head on the concrete.

In a statement, team president John Davidson said Kivlenieks "was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile and the impact he had during his four years with our organization will not be forgotten".[3][4] Former Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno said Kivlenieks "didn't take one day for granted which makes this tragedy even more hard to bear!" [4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L T/OT MIN GA SO GAA SV% GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2011–12 Prizma Riga LHL 1 9.52
2013–14 Edina Lakers MNJHL 39 3.95 .908 2 4.59 .911
2014–15 Forest Lake Lakers MNJHL 33 2.23 .930 4 1.75 .950
2014–15 Coulee Region Chill NAHL 1 0 1 0 59 4 0 4.05 .902
2015–16 Coulee Region Chill NAHL 29 16 10 1 1618 65 2 2.41 .925 4 1 3 210 12 0 3.42 .893
2016–17 Sioux City Musketeers USHL 49 36 7 2 2991 92 5 1.85 .932 13 8 3 807 28 2 2.08 .925
2017–18 Cleveland Monsters AHL 43 14 21 4 2296 123 1 3.21 .891
2018–19 Cleveland Monsters AHL 14 4 4 1 711 44 1 3.71 .873
2018–19 Kalamazoo Wings ECHL 8 5 3 0 420 19 0 2.71 .923
2019–20 Cleveland Monsters AHL 20 9 8 3 1194 59 1 2.96 .904
2019–20 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 6 1 1 2 285 14 0 2.95 .898
2020–21 Cleveland Monsters AHL 8 6 2 0 481 18 0 2.25 .929
2020–21 Columbus Blue Jackets NHL 2 1 1 0 124 7 0 3.40 .901
NHL totals 8 2 2 2 409 21 0 3.09 .899

International

Year Team Event Result GP W L OT MIN GA SO GAA SV%
2014 Latvia WJC18-D1 11th 4 2.37 .899
2015 Latvia WJC-D1 13th 4 2 1 1 241 7 0 1.75 .928
2016 Latvia WJC-D1 11th 4 4 0 0 245 7 0 1.71 .941
2018 Latvia WC 8th
2021 Latvia WC 11th 4 1 2 0 248 9 1 2.18 .922
Senior totals 4 1 2 0 248 9 1 2.18 .922

Awards and honours

Award Year
MNJHL
Second All-Star Team 2015
USHL
First All-Star Team 2016–17
Goaltender of the Year 2016–17[6]
Player of the Year 2016–17[6]
International
WJC-D1 Best Goaltender 2015, 2016
WJC-D1 Best GAA (1.71) 2016
WJC-D1 Best SVS% (.932) 2016

References

  1. ^ "Jackets sign Matiss Kivlenieks to three-year entry level contract". NHL.com.
  2. ^ "Rookie goaltender Kivlenieks gives Blue Jackets 2-1 win over Rangers in debut". Portland Press Herald. 19 January 2020. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Blue Jackets G Kivlenieks dead at 24". TSN. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Kaplan, Emily. "Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks, 24, dies in 'tragic accident'". ESPN. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks dies after accidental fall". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Kivlenieks named USHL player and goaltender of the year". Sioux City Journal. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2020.

Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database