ABOUT MATISS KIVLENIEKS
Former professional goaltender that played for the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 season before his passing. He won an award for Goaltender of the Year and Player of the Year in the United States Hockey League in 2017.
He began playing goaltender in ice hockey at the age of five.
He made his professional hockey debut on January 19, 2020 during a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers .
He was a native of Riga, Latvia, where he lived with his mother, his sister, and his late father who passed away when he was a young child.
He played alongside Patrik Laine and Michael Del Zotto as a member of the Blue Jackets.
