BRATISLAVA. Latvian goalkeeper Matiss Kivlenieks died a hero. His compatriot and only a former colleague from the Columbus Blue Jackets team, Elvis Merzlikins, thinks so.
At a memorial service on Thursday to Kivlenieks, who tragically died on July 4 after a fatal firefighting hit, Merzlikins said Kivlenieks had saved the lives of him and his pregnant wife as they fled the tragedy.
At the time when Kivlenieksa was hit by a severe blow of fate from the fireworks, three years older Merzlikins was about 30 feet, or 9 meters, behind him and was hugging with his wife.
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“He saved my unborn son. He saved my wife and he saved me too. If it didn’t affect me or my wife, there were another 50 or 60 people.
Therefore, I say that he died as a hero and was confirmed by a doctor. If he didn’t run away and just sit there, it wouldn’t happen, “Merzlikins said, quoting him on the official NHL website.
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The son gets the middle name Matiss
Both were at the time of the tragedy in the city of Novi in the US state of Michigan to celebrate the wedding of the daughter of goalie coach Columbus Manny Legace.
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“We were there with dozens of other people. We had a beer, then a ‘shot’ and not a meal, and also a cigar. And even then he kept looking for me. He wasn’t just my friend, I liked him as a younger brother,” he continued. Merzlikins.
The more experienced of the two Latvian national team goalkals added that when his son was born in September, he will have the middle name Matiss.
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Legation: He was a member of our family
Other speakers at the memorial ceremony were members of the coaching staff of Manny Legace and Brad Larsen, former Blue Jackets head coach John Tortorella and current striker Nathan Gerbe.
Those present honored Kivlenieks with a commemorative video. It included the winning premiere of the young Latvian in the NHL against the New York Rangers on January 19, 2020 and also the recent great triumph in the jersey of Latvia over Canada (2: 0) at the World Championships in Riga.
“He was an inspiration for his country and a whole generation of young goalkeepers. He died very young, but he was able to influence a large number of people,” Larsen said.
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Gerbe said that Kivlenieks embodied three things that his own children teach. “Hard work, respect for others and the right setting in mind. That was the whole Kiwi,” he said.
Legace was overwhelmed several times while talking about Kivlenieks.
“He was like a member of our family. He was a brother for my daughter and also a great friend of our nephew. I want to thank his mother and father for raising him so that we can meet this beautiful child. Even now he would say that we just they had a beer and went their own way, “Legace revealed.
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