Volume & Velocity

Matīss Edmunds Kivlenieks August 26, 1996 – July 4, 2021

Undrafted, Matīss Kivlenieks joined the Columbus Blue Jackets organization in 2017, signing a three-year entry level contract. Previously, he had played for Prizma Riga in the LHL and the Forest Lake Lakers in the MNJHL, as well as the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL. On January 19, 2020, Kivlenieks was called up and made his NHL debut for the Columbus Blue Jackets, earning his first NHL career win the same game, beating the New York Rangers 2-1. In 2021, Kivlenieks made his World Championship debut for Lativa, his home country. He would then lead Latvia to its first ever win and shutout against Canada as Latvia’s starting goaltender for the 2021 IIHF World Championship. Matīss Kivlenieks “was an outstanding young man who greeted every day and everyone with a smile.”