COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Blue Jackets said a private memorial service will be held in Upper Arlington Thursday for the late goalie Matiss Kivlenieks.
The service will be at Schoedinger Funeral Home at 10 a.m., open to only friends, family and other invited guests. The service will also be streamed on the team’s website.
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.
Kivlenieks, 24, died on July 4 during a fireworks incident. Police said Kivlenieks was celebrating at a home northwest of Detroit when a firework tilted slightly and started to fire at people nearby.
The Columbus Blue Jackets, the Columbus Blue Jackets Foundation and the McConnell family have established the Matiss Kivlenieks Memorial Fund in memory of #80.
Contributions will support youth hockey initiatives in Columbus and Latvia and will be matched up to $80,000.
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 12, 2021
The goalie was in a hot tub and trying to move out of the way when he was hit by the firework. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Novi Police Department in Michigan turned over the investigation to a prosecutor for review, the department announced Monday. The department has not requested charges in Kivlenieks’ death.
“Due to the high-profile nature, we wanted an extra set of eyes (on the case),” said Lt. Jason Meier, adding that the police investigation was complete unless otherwise directed by the Oakland County prosecutor’s office.
Following news of his death, fans in Columbus and around the state left hockey sticks on their doorsteps, put flowers outside of Nationwide Arena and displayed signs saying, “We miss you, Kivi.”
The National Hockey League also held a moment of silence for him before last week’s Stanley Cup Finals.
Thank you @NHL, @CanadiensMTL and @TBLightning for that touching tribute.
And thank you to everyone in the hockey world for your support today. We love you, Kivi. pic.twitter.com/LjYiMUBjJH
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) July 6, 2021
Kivlenieks most recently represented Latvia this spring at the world hockey championship in which he played four games. This past season, he played two games for the Blue Jackets and eight for the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters.
A native of Riga, Latvia, Kivlenieks signed with the Blue Jackets as a free agent in May 2017 and played eight games for the club overall.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
