Video After The Jump
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 & not a fall as authorities previously reported.
Police in Novi, Michigan, said the mortar-style firework tilted slightly & started to fire toward people nearby Sunday night. The 24-year-old Kivleniek was in a hot tub & tried to get clear with several other people, police Lt. Jason Meier said.
The fire department & EMTs got to the private home shortly after 10 p.m. & took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Meier said. The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s office reported preliminary autopsy results Monday afternoon.
The Blue Jackets and Latvian Hockey Federation announced Kivlenieks’ death, with the NHL club saying it resulted from an apparent head injury in a fall. The team’s statement made no mention of fireworks.
Columbus general manager Jarmo Kekalainen tweeted: “Life is so precious & can be so fragile. Hug your loved ones today. RIP Matiss, you will be dearly missed.” Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it a “devastating time” for the team.
The Latvian Hockey Federation called Kivlenieks’ death “a great loss not only for Latvian hockey but for the entire Latvian nation.”
Kivlenieks most recently represented Latvia this spring at the world hockey championship in which he played four games. He played two games for the Blue Jackets and eight for the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters this past season.
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Source: AP
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