Davidson: Sudden death of goalie has "far-reaching 影響s"

By Associated 圧力（をかける）

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COLUMBUS (AP) - Matiss Kivlenieks was with チーム仲間 and の近くに friend Elvis Merzlikins in Michigan for the wedding of the daughter of Columbus Blue Jackets' goaltender coach Manny Legace and a Fourth of July 祝賀.

The festive 週末 ended in 悲劇 Sunday night when the 24-year-old goaltender from Latvia, who was spending the summer in the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs, was killed in a freak 花火s 事故 at Legace's house in Novi, Michigan, a northern 郊外 of Detroit.

Now the organization for which he played since his professional career began in 2017 is in 嘆く／悼むing, working with his family in Latvia to arrange 記念の services and making mental health 助言者／カウンセラーs 利用できる for those who need it, said John Davidson, the Blue Jackets' 大統領，／社長 of ホッケー 操作／手術s.

"This has far-reaching 影響s," Davidson said Wednesday. "This was Manny's daughter's wedding, and all those people were there and this 悲劇 happened. We've got to を取り引きする it, we've got to を取り引きする it in the 権利 way, which I'm very 確信して we are."

Kivlenieks was fatally 負傷させるd when a he was 攻撃する，衝突する in the chest with an errant 花火 while trying to get out of a hot tub, police said. A 迫撃砲 tube tipped and angled toward Kivlenieks, who had been in the hot tub 近づく a swimming pool. The 爆破 攻撃する，衝突する him in the chest, police said.

The 調査 is still 存在 行為／行うd and police have not yet 問題／発行するd a 報告（する）／憶測 or said who was in 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 of setting off the 花火s. A 検死官 支配するd that Kivlenieks' death resulted from the 花火s 爆破. 初期の 報告（する）／憶測s said he fell and 攻撃する，衝突する his 長，率いる while trying to 出口 the hot tub.

THIS CORRECTS THAT KIVLENIEKS DIE D OF CHEST TRAUMA FROM AN ERRANT FIREWORKS MORTAR BLAST AND NOT A SUBSEQUENT FALL AS AUTHORITIES PREVIOUSLY REPORTED - FILE - Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks (80) has the puck in his hand as he makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers in New York, in this Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, file photo. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Latvian Hockey Federation said Monday, July 5, 2021, that 24-year-old goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks has died. A medical examiner in Michigan says an autopsy has determined that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast, and not a fall as authorities previously reported. Police in Novi, Michigan, said the mortar-style firework tilted slightly and started to fire toward people nearby Sunday night, July 4. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

THIS CORRECTS THAT KIVLENIEKS DIED OF CHEST TRAUMA FROM AN ERRANT FIREWORKS MORTAR BLAST AND NOT A SUBSEQUENT FALL AS AUTHORITIES PREVIOUSLY REPORTED - FILE - Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks (80) has the puck in his 手渡す as he makes a save during the third period of an NHL ホッケー game against the New York 特別奇襲隊員s in New York, in this Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020, とじ込み／提出する photo. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Latvian ホッケー 連合 said Monday, July 5, 2021, that 24-year-old goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks has died. A 医療の examiner in Michigan says an 検視 has 決定するd that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest 外傷／ショック from an errant 花火s 迫撃砲 爆破, and not a 落ちる as 当局 以前 報告（する）／憶測d. Police in Novi, Michigan, said the 迫撃砲-style 花火 攻撃するd わずかに and started to 解雇する／砲火／射撃 toward people nearby Sunday night, July 4. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, とじ込み／提出する)

Davidson said this has been 特に difficult for Merzlikins - who is also Latvian - and his wife Aleksandra.

"They were Kivi's closest friends, and they were with him that night," Davidson said. "This is a 破滅的な loss for them and for all us, one that will always be with us."

Legace, a 48-year-old former NHL goalie who played mostly for the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues in his 11-year career, coached Kivlenieks for his entire professional career. The young player from Riga 調印するd with Columbus as an undrafted 解放する／自由な スパイ／執行官 on May 25, 2017.

Kivlenieks played in 85 games for the the the Cleveland Monsters, the team's American ホッケー League (v)提携させる(n)支部，加入者, and in eight games for the Blue Jackets in the past two seasons. He was considered the No. 3 Blue Jackets goaltender and a 候補者 to be No. 2 if Joonas Korpisalo or Merzlikins is 貿易（する）d, which is 広範囲にわたって 推定する／予想するd.

"I think our players who played with him said it the best, that he always （機の）カム to the rink with a smile on his 直面する and a 広大な／多数の／重要な 肯定的な 態度," Columbus general 経営者／支配人 Jarmo Kekalainen said. "We'd watched him play in the (部隊d 明言する／公表するs ホッケー League) and thought 大いに of his 可能性のある, and a big part of that was his 態度."

Davidson was 雇うd by the Blue Jackets as 大統領，／社長 of ホッケー 操作／手術s in 2012. He spent the last two years in the same position for the New York 特別奇襲隊員s before 存在 解雇する／砲火／射撃d and then 雇うd 支援する by Columbus. He 解任するs 会合 a wide-注目する，もくろむd Kivlenieks four years ago when the goalie was 調印するd, then watching him come of age in a 勝利，勝つ over Davidson's 特別奇襲隊員s at Madison Square Garden.

With Blue Jackets goalies nursing 傷害s, Kivlenieks made his NHL debut on Jan. 19, 2020. He stopped 31 of 32 発射s to （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 the 特別奇襲隊員s 2-1.

"It was a special 利益／興味 to watch the young man play," said Davidson, a former goalie. "He passed, he passed the 実験（する） in a 堅い building, one of the 広大な／多数の／重要な buildings in the world for sports. And that's something that's on his 再開する forever."

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Zachary Hunter and his son Samuel visit a makeshift memorial in front of Nationwide Arena Monday, July 5, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, to remember Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks who died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described Monday as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Zachary Hunter and his son Samuel visit a 一時しのぎの物，策 記念の in 前線 of 全国的な 円形競技場 Monday, July 5, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, to remember Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks who died of chest 外傷／ショック from an errant 花火s 迫撃砲 爆破 in what 当局 述べるd Monday as a 悲劇の 事故 on the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Tasha Gantner, left, with her husband Sam, center, and daughter Nancy visit a makeshift memorial in front of Nationwide Arena Monday, July 5, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, to remember Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks who died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described Monday as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

Tasha Gantner, left, with her husband Sam, 中心, and daughter Nancy visit a 一時しのぎの物，策 記念の in 前線 of 全国的な 円形競技場 Monday, July 5, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, to remember Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks who died of chest 外傷／ショック from an errant 花火s 迫撃砲 爆破 in what 当局 述べるd Monday as a 悲劇の 事故 on the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

A makeshift memorial is displayed in front of Nationwide Arena Monday, July 5, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, to remember Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks who died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described Monday as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

A 一時しのぎの物，策 記念の is 陳列する，発揮するd in 前線 of 全国的な 円形競技場 Monday, July 5, 2021, in Columbus, Ohio, to remember Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks who died of chest traum a from an errant 花火s 迫撃砲 爆破 in what 当局 述べるd Monday as a 悲劇の 事故 on the Fourth of July. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

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