Columbus Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins honors late Matiss Kivlenieks with newborn son's middle name
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins said he and his wife, Aleksandra, have welcomed son Knox Matiss Merzlikins into their family.
The baby, which was born on Friday in Ohio, is the first for the couple, who honored the memory of late Blue Jackets goalie Matiss Kivlenieks with the infant’s middle name.
Merzlikins and his wife were present at the home of Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace when Kivlenieks died July 4 during a fireworks incident in which he was struck in the chest by a three-inch mortar shell. During his eulogy, Merzlikins described the chaotic scene, saying he was hugging his wife when the incident happened.
Police said Kivlenieks was scrambling to escape from a hot tub when one of the errant blasts from a “cake style” nine-shot fireworks device struck him. Merzlikins credited him for saving their lives, the life of their unborn son and the lives of others in attendance during a wedding celebration for Legace’s daughter.
“He saved my son, he saved my wife and he saved me,” Merzlikins said. “My son’s second name is gonna be ‘Matiss,’ but accept that … if that wasn’t me or my wife or son, it would be 50 other people. He died as hero. And that’s not me saying that. That was the doctor saying (it). If he would just sit, (he) would’ve had nothing (happen).”
In his Instagram post, Merzlikins thanked the Blue Jackets for gifts, nurses at the hospital for taking care of his family during their stay and equipment manufacturer Bauer, which had its goalie division make a set of mini goalie pads identical to those that Merzlikins wore last season – complete with the Columbus skyline design on the front.
Novi police labeled the incident a “tragic accident” before transferring the findings of their investigation to Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s office. A final determination by the prosecutor's office on whether any charges will be filed in Kivlenieks' death remains undecided.