The One Year Anniversary: Matiss Kivlenieks

Normally I write my blog for the Columbus Blue Jackets NHL Franchise on facts.  Today, for this post, that won't be the case.  This will be an honest, heartfelt tribute from myself, to the Columbus Blue Jackets Team, Columbus Blue Jackets Franchise, the sports writers/reporters connected to this team, the 5th Line Fan Base, the country of Latvia and above all else, Matiss Kivlenieks and his family.  I hope I make you all proud in remembering the most difficult two weeks I ever spent writing for this team I've loved since established in 2000, when I was six-years-old.  

July 5th, 2021

First I'll say this much, I'm writing this on the early morning of July 4th, 2022.  I want to be sure I edit this properly and give this tribute the respect it deserves.  Further, I don't know if I'm going to cry, so it seems wise to have time to step away for a few minutes, if needed.  

I had been up late that night into early morning.  I went to bed around 5:00 AM, due to editing my own personal books.  I went to bed and woke up when the sun came through my wind at roughly 9:00 AM.  Normally I'd roll over and go back to sleep, but something told me to check my phone.  I saw a notification from WSYX ABC 6, one I wanted to be a lie, because I saw no way it could be true.  If I remember correctly it said something like "Matiss Kivlenieks, Columbus Blue Jackets Goaltender, dies at age 24."  It was very basic, vague, which led me to believe it was some horrible rumor.  Those happen on the internet. so that's what it had to be.  

I pulled up my laptop, the same one I'm writing this on now.  I did a search on "Matiss Kivlenieks" and all of these stories popped up immediately.  When I saw CNN I felt a bit uneasy, NBC 4 was sobering, and then when I saw ESPN...it was real.  No one had any details, but I knew I had to write something, because at the time I worked for a sports website.  I had no choice but to pass on what news I could find to my loyal, 5th Line readers, all of you.  I wrote the post, sitting on the edge of my bed.  I had tears in my eyes, but I knew I had to get it done.  Also, if I cried as hard as I wanted to, I knew I'd wake up my parents down the hall.  

I published my first post and promised more details once they came available.  I wiped my eyes, closed my laptop and left my room.  I was not going back to sleep, I could not.  At that point I knew two things, I promised my readers updates once I saw them and two, I was in a level of shock I'd never known.  It should come as no surprise that my favorite position, since I was six-years-old, is the goaltender.  It's exciting to watch them and with my sight being so bad, I can always find them on the ice, as they're not far from the net.  Further, the first post I ever wrote was about Elvis Merzlikins, also from Latvia.  

I went outside after that and fed the squirrels and birds, on what was autopilot, a full, 16 OZ bag of unshelled peanuts.  I cried twice in the process for two reasons.  First, I had to tell my best friend who loves hockey as much as I do that our young, promising goaltender had died on his birthday.  Second, I couldn't get past the idea that Matiss Kivlenieks was younger than me, by two and a half years.  That fact played in my head a lot, it still does.  

I came inside and turned on NBC 4, waiting for the local news to come on, knowing this had to be the top story.  I waited 15 minutes and then saw my theory confirmed.  I watched it, cried again, then found the NBC 4 article as a source.  I wrote my second post, which ended up being incorrect, we'd all later find out.  The details about an "accident" were correct, the type was not.  At this moment everyone stated something along the lines of him "slipping" or "falling", when leaving a hot tube.  It was an update and I had no way to know it wasn't quite right, so I wrote and published that post.  I then rewound the news so my mom could watch it when she woke up.  I believe she said something like, "you've written about him, sad, too young."  This is true, his amazing 2-1 win in Madison Square Garden, I was so proud and amazed by him stepping into such a challenge and exceling.  At the end of what no one expected to be his final season, he had a Goals Against Average of 3.09, a Save Percentage of .889, with 2 wins, 2 losses, and 2 overtime losses in 6 Games.  He had 8 total starts.  Well on his way to being something great in the NHL, for the Columbus Blue Jackets Franchise, no doubt.  

Around noon I went to bed, believing any other updates would take some time, again I was right.  When I woke up later that evening details about it being a firework accident were starting to come to light.  So were heartfelt tributes to the fallen goaltender.  Current and former Columbus Blue Jackets, NHL Players who had played against Kivlenieks, players who'd never met him, sports outlets, sports writers/reporters, the 5th Line Fan Base, even the Nightly News on NBC did a lovely dedication piece for him on July 5th, 2022.  

The Weeks After.

An investigation was opened in Michigan, regarding what had happened that night Kivlenieks, also known as "Kivi", lost his life.  Our Columbus Blue Jackets Goaltending Coach, Manny Legace's, had been hosting his daughter's wedding.  The fireworks were in celebration of such, and something went tragically wrong.  We wouldn't exactly know all the details until Matiss Kivlenieks's funeral.  I made sure I was awake for it, wanting to watch and mourn with everyone else, connected to "Kivi" and our Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL family, around the world.  I had a plan to not write a post about the funeral, it just didn't seem right to me.  This was true until Elvis Merzlikins eulogy changed everything.   

It turned out that Matiss Kivlenieks was a "hero", a word voice by Elvis Merzlikins himself.  Matiss Kivlenieks realized one of the fireworks was pointed the wrong way, where Elvis, his pregnant wife and several others had gathered to watch.  He jumped from the hot tub, as it was told by Elvis Merzlikins and paraphrased by myself now by memory, to block the firework with his own body.  When it struck him, the damage caused was so extensive, nothing could be done.  I pray I get this right, but I remember one line of Elvis Merzlikins speech that day which will stay in my mind always.  "He blocked his last puck.  He saved us all."  Beautiful gratitude from a man who called Matiss Kivlenieks his "little brother", as they both came from Riga, Latvia.  

In the days and weeks after Matiss Kivlenieks death, many amazing things happened in memory of him.  The Columbus Blue Jackets established the Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund.  The money went back to his home of Riga, Latvia, with the intention to help younger goalkeepers from the country.  614 Hockey made "Kivi Forever" tee shirts, donating all profits to the Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund.  Fans, the 5th Line, donated by the hundreds.  This surpassed the $80,000.00 goal, set I believe for Matiss Kivlenieks number for the Columbus Blue Jackets, 80.  There was the Nationwide Arena memorial, for all fans who wanted to pay tribute to their goaltender, gone far too soon.  The national, Nightly News on NBC tribute.  A moment of silence at the 2021 NHL Draft, both nationally and at the Nationwide Arena Draft Party.  The same best friend who had his birthday the day we lost "Kivi" bought me one of those tee shirts from 614 Hockey, I got it a few hours before the 2021 Draft Party.  I didn't have time to wash it and I didn't care, I wore it anyway.  I still thank him to this day for getting me the shirt when he did, because it arrived at the best time.  614 Hockey just donated the full profits, from the memorial merchandise, 

We saw Elvis and his wife Aleksandra become parents to a son in August.  A life not yet begun was "saved" in his dad's words, by the man who would've been his godfather.  The parents honored him in his name, Knox Matiss Merzlikins.     

Then, came the season-long tribute, the #80 banner.  It went up on October 14, 2021.  That night was the 2021-22 Season Opener in Nationwide Arena, against the Arizona Coyotes.  With the banner above, along with Matiss Kivlenieks family at center ice for a ceremonial puck drop in his honor, the Blue Jackets went on to win 8-2.  The #80 banner remained there for the complete 2021-22 NHL Season.  It was said that the banner would hang for this season, but no official word has been given about if it will remain up or where it might go after.  Personally, I want it to stay up, indefinitely.     

There are times when this reality still seems unreal to me.  When Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo were both injured this season, at the same time, the first time, my mind slipped and I forgot why the Blue Jackets hadn't called up Matiss Kivlenieks.  Remembering why was a punch to the heart.  I miss him.  I miss writing about him.  I'm not trying to make myself sound any different than the regular, dedicated 5th Line fan, but in a way I guess I am.  I write about each player on this Blue Jackets team on their best and worst of days.  I love covering wins, losses stink, injuries make me cringe for the players sake...and losses break my heart.  For those rolling their eyes right now, calling me a girl, yes I care about this team.  From the end of the 2020-21 NHL Season to now, it was a rough time for this team, in regard to loss.  First we lost our goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, then we saw Patrik Laine lose his father, less than a month before the holidays.  In early March, while healing a broken finger, Alexander Texier stepped back for the rest of the season, due to "multiple" family losses.  

When I think of Matiss Kivlenieks I think of a few things.  I'll never look at the number 80 the same way again.  I'll always smile when I see the "Joker", because that image was on his helmet.  I'm reminded how selfless and kind someone can be, which is a beautiful memory to hold in one's mind, during the twists and turns of life.  Speaking of, life is not to be taken for granted, by in regard of those we hold dear or our own.  We don't know what the next second holds.  So, I think the best way to honor "Kivi" today, other than filling social media with memories and photos of us wearing our "Kivi Forever" gear, is to just be as caring and selfless as we can be.  If you want to go a step further, not just today, but every day.    

These men we watch play this great game of hockey we love, at times, may seem larger than life.  We idolize them, want pictures with them and to have them sign our jerseys, pucks or their own picture.  Deep down however, both on and off the ice, these men are human, just like us.  The selflessness that Matiss Kivlenieks displayed one year ago today was nothing short of one word though, one word said first by fellow goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and then echoed in Matiss Kivlenieks's memory every day since, "hero".  With that word my tribute to this amazing player, teammate, friend, son, brother, Latvian and so much more is complete.  So, I leave you with five simple words that have a universal meaning to us all, binding us together in both grief and gratitude today.      

Kivi Forever

Go Blue Jackets..