The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Monday morning that goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks had tragically died in an accident at the age of 24. The team statement said Kivlenieks had “suffered an apparent head injury in a fall,” and police said he “died after falling and hitting his head on concrete in a July Fourth fireworks-related accident,” per ESPN.
However, the official autopsy is now stating a different cause of death for the Blue Jackets goalie, though it was still related to a fireworks accident. The medical examiner says Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from a fireworks mortar blast:
Oakland Co., Mich., investigator Tim Wood said an autopsy has confirmed that the death of #CBJ goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks was accidental.
But Kivlenieks’ cause of death, as listed on autopsy, is “fireworks mortar blast, chest trauma,” not a head injury as first suspected.
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) July 5, 2021
This is how police initially described Matiss Kivlenieks' tragic accident:
“There appears to have been a fireworks malfunction, which caused a group of people to flee from the hot tub, including the deceased, who slipped and hit his head on the concrete,” Meier told ESPN on Monday.
According to Meier, a mortar-style firework tilted slightly, which caused a fire. Responders took 4 minutes and 38 seconds to arrive after receiving a 911 call. Kivlenieks was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Whatever happened exactly, this is an incredibly sad situation. Matiss Kivlenieks was just 24 years old and had his whole life ahead of him. He joined the Blue Jackets in 2017 and was a backup goalie for the team. He made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden in 2020 and earned a victory over the New York Rangers.
The Blue Jackets released this statement on the goalie's death:
“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,” said Blue Jackets President of Hockey Operations John Davidson. “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.”
Prayers go out to Matiss Kivlenieks' family and friends, as well as the entire Blue Jackets organization as they deal with this tragedy.
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