COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets will host a draft party and an open house at Nationwide Arena Friday, July 23. The team also plans to honor its late goalie, Matiss Kivlenieks, who died July 4 after getting hit with a firework.
The Blue Jackets have three first-round picks and fifth pick overall. They also own the 25th and 32nd picks.
The party begins at 6 p.m. and live coverage of the draft will start at 8 p.m. Admission is free, and the first 4,000 fans will receive a commemorative 2021 Draft Party credential.
There will be an autograph session, celebrity appearances, a contest to win tickets to this year’s home opener and a raffle with special prizes, according to the team.
The Blue Jackets will honor Kivlenieks by displaying items collected at the arena since his passing, and there will be opportunities for fans to leave personal messages and share memories.
Police said Kivlenieks, 24, was celebrating at a home northwest of Detroit when a firework tilted slightly and started to fire at people nearby. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
A private memorial service is being held Thursday in Upper Arlington for the late goalie.
The Blue Jackets also launched a fundraiser, the Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund, that will put proceeds toward the city’s youth hockey initiatives and his home country, Latvia.
