RECHERCHE


Cleveland Monsters to honor Matiss Kivlenieks by hosting Kivi Day on his birthday

PUBLICATION
Brennen Beaudin
August 27, 2022  (9:51)
SHARE THIS STORY

The Cleveland Monsters, Blue Jackets AHL affiliate, announced that the team will host Kivi Day to honor Matiss Kivlenieks. The celebration lands on the late goaltender's birthday, and there is plans to give back to the community as well.

"Kivi Day is such a great opportunity for all of us to remember and celebrate the life of Matiss," said Columbus Blue Jackets Goaltending Development Coach and former teammate Brad Thiessen. "It is important that he remains a part of this community, one that he impacted for so many years. To be able to share his story and have an impact on the next generation of goalies in Northeast Ohio is a great way to carry on his legacy."

Saves for Kivi was just one way to honor Matiss, as each save made by a Monsters' goalie at home earned proceeds towards a donation. The team ended up raising over $10,000, and gave back to the community by donating money to the development of young goalies in the community. The Monsters will also be donating one set of youth goalie equipment to each of the team's members in Learn to Play.

Kivi Day will actually be a two day event celebrating his life. On August 26, Monsters Front Office staff will be donating a day of service to help the team's Learn to Play partners at Brooklyn Youth Hockey. Along with this, 20 additional staff members will be painting the John M. Coyne Recreation center before the 2022-23 youth hockey season.

Then on August 27, the celebrations continues with a goalie clinic made up of children ages eight to ten. The participants will receive a Kivi's Kids goalie jersey and participate in two sessions at the team's practice facility at OBM Arena. To top it all off, two scholarships will be given to participants picked at random in the 2023 Conway Goaltending School's Cleveland Summer Camp.

clevelandmonsters.com