(AP)
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks died of chest trauma from an errant fireworks mortar blast in what authorities described as a tragic accident on the Fourth of July.
Police in Novi, Michigan, say the firework tilted slightly and started to fire toward people nearby. The 24-year-old Kivlenieks was in a hot tub and tried to get clear with several other people. Authorities had earlier said the Latvian died of an apparent head injury during a fall. An autopsy clarified the cause of death.
Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it a “devastating time” for the team.