Matiss Kivlenieks was on the verge. He was happy and hopeful, and all signs pointed to a great hockey future for the 24-year-old goaltender from Latvia.
In what turned out being his final interview, Kivlenieks said on June 29 that he was still feeling pride in his emergence with the Blue Jackets and then great success representing his home country in the men’s world championship.
“The last two years have been really good,” Kivlenieks said following a ride-along experience at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with IndyCar driver Alex Rossi. “I’m definitely ready for whatever comes my way.”
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Kivlenieks will not get a chance to prove it, though, after a fireworks accident Sunday in Michigan took his life. The goalie whose smile lit up many rooms died, leaving behind a lot of heartache for family, friends, teammates and coaches, not to mention a budding NHL career.
After spending the past four years playing mainly for the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League, he felt his time to make a more permanent leap to the NHL was close.
Kivlenieks played eight games for the Blue Jackets during the past two years, including the final two this season. He was victorious against the Detroit Red Wings in the season finale at Nationwide Arena, an overtime triumph, and then headed to the men’s world championship in Riga, Latvia.
Latvia didn’t make it to the quarterfinals, but Kivlenieks was outstanding. He played four games, posting a stellar 2.18 goals-against average and .922 save percentage, and his 38-save performance was the main reason Latvia earned its first-ever victory against Canada, a 2-0 shutout.
Combined with his NHL experience, highlighted by a 2-1 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in his debut, Kivlenieks felt poised to take the next step up.
“The more games you play, the more comfortable you feel,” he said. “Especially winning a game like that (against Canada) just gives you more confidence in yourself. I’ve just got to keep going. There’s still a long way to go, so I’ve just got to keep working.”
That was the plan for the remainder of this summer.
Kivlenieks returned to Columbus from Latvia on June 23 with the intention of spending the rest of summer preparing for next season. In fact, he was living with fellow Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins and Merzlikins’ wife, Aleksandra, who is due to have their first child, a son, the first week of September. It was Merzlikins with whom he traveled to Michigan for the July 4 weekend.
With one year left on his contract, Kivlenieks might have been exposed to the Seattle Kraken in the July 21 NHL expansion draft, which would have met the Blue Jackets’ requirement of one eligible, signed goalie available.
Regardless of the team, Kivlenieks had his eyes on the NHL next season. His mind also hadn’t wandered too far from the historic victory over Canada.
“It was huge for our country,” he said, recalling how Latvian citizens celebrated in the streets and gathered outside his hotel to celebrate the victory. “It was unbelievable.”
It also was a muted celebration, tamed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans weren’t allowed to watch inside the arena or local bars, so they spilled into the streets afterward to celebrate. Many left flowers outside the Canadian embassy, in keeping with tradition following Latvian sports triumphs.
“It was amazing,” Kivlenieks said. “After that game, it was obviously late, but people still came to the hotel and just supported us outside and were really happy. Just to have that feeling, it was unbelievable. It was just a great experience and I can’t wait for next year.”
The news of his death hit hard in the hockey world, and particularly in Ohio. The league observed a moment of silence in Kivlenieks' honor before Monday night's Stanley Cup Final game in Montreal, and in Columbus fans expressed their condolences with visual tributes.
Fans left flowers, sticks, hockey pucks and personal messages in an ever-growing memorial outside the doors of Nationwide Arena, and Blue Jackets followers put hockey sticks outside their houses as a show of respect. The R Bar in Columbus held a gathering for Blue Jackets to talk about Kivlenieks.
"It shows you that people in the community care about you," said Blue Jackets fan Derek Slane. "Hockey is one of those sports that we all come together as a community when it’s something that we truly love. We just want everyone to know, within the community, that our thoughts and prayers are with his family and his friends and the Columbus Blue Jackets."
Slane left his own message for Kivlenieks on one of the posters hung at the memorial.
"Love and miss you so very much Kivi," Slane wrote.
@BrianHedger
