Merzlikins using mask to pay tribute to late teammate Kivlenieks

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins is paying tribute through his mask to late teammate Matiss Kivlenieks this season.

Both Merzlikins and Kivlenieks are from Latvia, and Merzlikins considered Kivlenieks to be like a little brother before his death on July 4 in a fireworks accident. Merzlikins spoke at the service and explained how the firework would have hit him and his pregnant wife had the 24-year-old not been in front of them. They named their baby in honor of him, naming the baby boy Knox Matiss Merzlikins.

The incident happened at Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace's house, where lots of people were brought together in celebration of his daughter Sabrina's wedding. Sabrina had also said something about Kivlenieks making his last save, which is a quote that was placed on Merzlikins' mask for this season.

Elvis Merzlikins will be honouring Matiss Kivlenieks on his goalie mask for the 2021-2022 season. 💙❤️

📽️: @BlueJacketsNHL pic.twitter.com/SW5Hh2rEOi— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 11, 2021

Merzlikins also put other symbols on his mask to honor Kivlenieks including the number 80 with angel wings on the front of the mask and the Blue Jackets goal cannon. Kivlenieks also had the Blue Jackets goal cannon on the side of the mask.

"I want him close to me," Merzlikins told the Blue Jackets' website. "I always want him with me. I know he is going to always be with me and he is going to look on from up there and help me. That's the minimum of what he can do for me because he is not here anymore with us. The passion and love that he had for this game, that is what he is going to do, and I believe that."

"I wanted it to be a really, really similar mask to what he had. He was my little brother. He's always going to be with me."

Elvis honors Kivi ⬇️https://t.co/AfiXANkrKr— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) September 10, 2021

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