Matiss Kivlenieks, an NHL goalie, was killed in a fireworks explosion at a private party on the Fourth of July. The 24-year-old Latvian played for the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. He also spent time with the minor league affiliate of the NHL in Cleveland. Kivlenieks was attending a party in Novi in Michigan when fireworks tipped and sent an explosive into the air. Authorities said that Kivlenieks was among those who tried to escape the hot tub. It is believed that the fireworks mortar hit him in the chest. According to local police, the incident was a tragic accident.AdvertisementHis exterior sustained minor injuries. We believe some of the fireworks made contact with him. However, we aren't sure if the blast caused the injury or if the percussion from it. Local police reported this to the Detroit News. According to authorities, Kivlenieks wasn't responding when emergency personnel arrived at the scene in the small community 30 miles north of Detroit. Kivlenieks was later declared dead from chest trauma. Initial authorities thought Kivlenieks had fallen and hit his head while fleeing from fireworks. However, an autopsy revealed that the explosive was the cause of his death. The incident resulted in no injuries to anyone else.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSubscribe to the Slatest Newsletter Get a daily email update with the latest stories. Signing you up was not possible due to an error Please try again. To use this form, please enable jаvascript. Email address: I would like to receive updates on Slate special offers. You agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms by signing up. Thank you for signing up! You can cancel your subscription at any time.Kivlenieks was a sparing player since signing with the Blue Jackets, but made his NHL debut in January 2020. Over the past season and a half, he made eight net appearances but was still considered to be the Blue Jackets' backup goaltender. Kivlenieks represented Latvia at international level, most recently at June's World Championship. Monday was a sad day for the hockey community. Monday's sadness was felt by the hockey community.
