Monsters pay tribute to Matiss Kivlenieks by hosting second annual 'Kivi Day'
Aug 24, 2023The Cleveland Monsters are proud to announce the team will host the second annual Kivi Day in honor of Matiss Kivlenieks’ birthday as a way to pay tribute to the late goaltender while also giving back to the local community that he so valued during his career.
"I am honored to take part in Kivi Day again this year to celebrate and remember my teammate and friend Matiss,” said Columbus Blue Jackets Goaltending Development Coach and former teammate Brad Thiessen. “It is important to me to be able to share his story with the kids of Northeast Ohio, how he followed his dream and love for the game of hockey to achieve his goal of playing in the NHL."
On Friday, August 25, members of the Monsters Front Office staff will partake in a day of service helping the team’s Learn to Play partners at Parma Hockey Association. Around 20 staff members will assist in repainting three locker rooms of the Michael A. Ries Rink ahead of the 2023-24 youth hockey season.
On Saturday, August 26, in celebration of Matiss’ birthday, Kivi Day will continue with a special goalie clinic consisting of kids ages eight to 10 from the Monsters’ Learn to Play partners. Two sessions will be held at the team’s practice facility at Brunswick Auto Mart Arena with instruction led by Thiessen. All participants will receive a specialty Kivi’s Kids goalie jersey and learn more about Matiss’ life and time in Cleveland while playing for the Monsters. The Monsters will also be sponsoring scholarships for two randomly picked participants in the 2024 Conway Goaltending School’s Cleveland Summer Camp.
Kivi Day was established as a program that will occur on, or around, Matiss’ birthday each year to allow continuous participation in his memory. Matiss was a
goaltender in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization who spent parts of four seasons with the Cleveland Monsters from 2017-2021 before tragically passing away on July 4, 2021.
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