Table of Biography
Matiss Kivlenieks is a late Latvian professional ice hockey goaltender. Matiss Kivlenieks played in several hockey leagues such as Latvian Hockey Higher League (LHL), American Hockey League (AHL), and National Hockey League (NHL).
Early Life
Born as Matīss Edmunds Kivlenieks, on the 26th of August, 1996, in Riga, Latvia. He is professionally known by the name of Matiss Kivlenieks and holds Latvian nationality. Meanwhile, he was just 24 years old when he died and has a birth sign of Virgo. Additionally, he belongs to the Latvian ethnicity, and his religious belief is yet to be disclosed.
At a young age, Matiss lost his father who died of natural causes. After this, he started living with his mother and stepfather. Both his mother and stepfather are restaurateurs. In addition, Matiss grew up with his younger sister. Meanwhile, he has not much shared or talked about his family members in public. He spoke Latvian, Russian, and, after playing in the United States, English.
In terms of his academic qualifications, he did not share anything about them till the time of his death. Moreover, he seems to be well-educated and might have completed his early schooling at a local high near his hometown. Meanwhile, he may have dropped out of college to pursue a career in ice hockey.
Death
On July 4, 2021, he died at the age of 2
4 following a tragic accident. According to reports, he suffered a chest injury from a fireworks mortar blast while attending a Fourth of July celebration in Novi, Michigan. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Professional Career
Matiss Kivlenieks began playing as a goaltender in ice hockey from the age of five. He began his career in his native country, Latvia, where he played for the Dinamo Riga system. He then moved to the United States and played in the USHL for the Sioux City Musketeers during the 2014-15 season. In the following season, Kivlenieks played for the Coulee Region Chill in the NAHL.
In 2016, he joined the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, where he had a breakout season with a 36-7-2 record, a 1.85 goals-against average, and a .932 save percentage. His outstanding performance earned him the USHL Goaltender of the Year award.
Caption: Matiss Kivlenieks as an ice-hockey goaltender (Source: The Hockey News)
In 2017, he signed as a free agent with the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He was initially assigned to their ECHL affiliate, the Jacksonville Icemen, but quickly moved up to the American Hockey League (AHL), where he played for the Cleveland Monsters.
Moreover, he made his NHL debut for the Blue Jackets on January 19, 2020, in a game against the New York Rangers. He played in eight NHL games over the next two seasons, earning a record of 2-2-2 with a 3.09 goals-against average and .899 save percentage.
In addition to his professional career, he represented Latvia in international competitions. He played for Latvia at the 2018 and 2019 IIHF World Championships, as well as the 2021 IIHF World Championship, where he helped his team earn a historic win against Canada in the preliminary round.
Awards
Throughout his ice-hockey playing career, he has received several awards and honors. He received USHL Goaltender of the Year during the 2016-17 season. Moreover, he won the Latvian Hockey League championship in 2014-15 while playing for Dinamo Riga.
He represented Latvia in the IIHF World Championship in 2018, 2019, and 2021. He played a key role in helping his team achieve a historic win against Canada in the 2021 tournament.
Net Worth 2024
At the time of his death, Matiss’s net worth was estimated around $3 million. In May 2017, he signed a contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets for a whopping $2,497,500.
Relationship Status
Talking about his personal life, Matiss Kivlenieks was thought to be unmarried and single. However, in July 2019, he posted a picture of a lady with the caption “Brain.” We still don’t know if the lady is his girlfriend.
Boddy Measurements
Caption: Matiss Kivlenieks posing for a photo (Source: The Columbus Dispatch)
Matiss stands 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs around 81 kg (178 lbs). He has light green eyes with blonde hair color and his other body measurements are yet to be disclosed.
Social Media
Matiss Kivlenieks is not alive in this world and is not active on social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.