COLUMBUS, Ohio — Following the death of Matiss Kivlenieks, hockey fans, teammates and others around the sport paid tribute to the 24-year-old goalie who died over the Fourth of July weekend.
Outside of Nationwide Arena, fans lined the entry doors with balloons, flowers and other mementos to honor the Columbus Blue Jackets goalie. One sign posted to the arena doors read, “We love you Kivi.” Another sign read, “We will miss you Kivi.”
Meanwhile in Cleveland, a sign honoring Kivlenieks was displayed outside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. During his professional career, Kivlenieks split time between the NHL’s Blue Jackets and the AHL’s Monsters.
On social media, the hashtag #SticksOutForKivi trended as fans posted photos of their hockey sticks positioned outside their doorsteps.
At the Arena District tavern R Bar, fans held an 80-second moment of silence in honor of his jersey number.
Prior to Monday night’s Stanley Cup Final matchup between the Canadiens and Lightning, a moment of silence was held for Kivlenieks, which was shown in the pregame broadcast.
