Kivlenieks signs with Blue Jackets

Matiss Kivlenieks may be from Latvia, but he has been on a whirlwind tour of American junior teams are all three levels for the past four seasons, culminating this past week when he was signed to an entry level contract by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Kivlenieks, a native of Riga, Latvia first came across the Atlantic in 2013 and he played two full seasons with the Edina/Forest Lake Lakers of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League appearing in 72 games there over two seasons before making the jump to the North American Hockey League in 2015-16 where he played another 29 games with the Coulee Region Chill, posting a 2.41 GAA and a save percentage of .925.

This past season, Kivlenieks appeared in 49 of 60 regular season contests for the Sioux City Musketeers, his 1.85 GAA and .932 SP helping the Swordsmen to an Anderson Cup title as the top team of the regular season.

He appeared in all 13 of the team’s post season games as well, helping the team get to within an overtime goal of the Clark Cup with a 2.08 goals against and a save percentage of .925.

Kivlenieks was named as both the Goaltender of the Year and Player of the Year for the United States Hockey League. Kivlenieks will likely try to challenge for a spot on the Cleveland Monsters – top minor league affiliate of the Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets currently to not have an affiliate in the East Coast Hockey League.