Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died on Sunday in an incident that was said to be related to a fireworks mishap.
The Blue Jackets announced on Monday that Kivlenieks suffered an apparent head injury in a fall. The incident occurred in Novi, Mich., and police there told The Athletic that Kivlenieks and several other individuals were “fleeing a hot tub” because of a “firework malfunction.”
“The deceased, while exiting the hot tub, slipped and fell and hit his head on the concrete,” Novi police Lt. Jason Meier said.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said in a statement that the team is “shocked and saddened” by Kivlenieks’ death. He extended condolences to Kivlenieks’ mother Astrida and the rest of his family.
“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,” Davidson said.
Kivlenieks signed with the Blue Jackets in 2017 after he went undrafted. He started two games for Columbus this past season and more recently played for Latvia at the IIHF World Championships.
