NHL goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks dies after being hit by firework

Matiss Kivlenieks, the 24-year-old goaltender for the Columbus Blue Jackets, died Sunday after being struck by an errant firework, according to multiple reports.

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Previously, police in Novi, Michigan, told The Columbus Dispatch that Kivlenieks died from an apparent head injury that he got after falling while trying to escape from a hot tub on Sunday night. Kivlenieks and several others ran after a firework malfunctioned at a home in the Detroit metro area around 10 p.m. Sunday, according to The Washington Post.

However, preliminary autopsy results from the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office showed that Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from a fireworks mortar blast, The Associated Press reported.

Originally from Latvia, Kivlenieks joined the Blue Jackets in 2017 as an undrafted free agent, the Dispatch reported. He was in the U.S. to train over the summer.

“We are shocked and saddened by the loss of Matiss Kivlenieks, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his mother, Astrida, his family and friends during this devastating time,” Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson said Monday in a statement. “Kivi 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.”

Gary Bettman, commissioner of the NHL, on Monday shared sympathies for Kivlenieks’ family members, friends and loved ones.

“His love for life and passion for the game will be deeply missed by all those who have been fortunate to have him as a teammate and a friend,” he said.

Team members, officials and friends took to social media to share condolences and remembrances of the 24-year-old.

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