The Columbus Blue Jackets have confirmed the passing of goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks last night after suffering an apparent head injury in a fall. He was 24.
A native of Riga, Latvia, Kivlenieks spent the last four seasons in the Blue Jackets organization, playing primarily with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. In 85 appearances with Cleveland, Kivlenieks had a record of 33-35-8 with a 3.13 goals-against average, an .896 save percentage and three shutouts.
Kivlenieks made his NHL debut with Columbus on Jan. 19, 2020, and made eight NHL appearances in his career. He was also a member of the Latvian national team, most recently participating in the 2021 IIHF World Championship.
This article was originally published by Theahl.com. Read the original article here.