Pierre-Luc Dubois reveals heartwarming reason behind wearing late ex-teammate's number

In a touching tribute, Pierre-Luc Dubois, the Winnipeg Jets' talented center, has revealed the heartfelt reason behind his choice of jersey number. Dubois, in a recent episode of the "Hockey of Tomorrow" podcast, shared the touching story of why he proudly wears the jersey with the number 80 on it.

The significance of this number goes far beyond the realm of sports. It is a poignant tribute to Matiss Kivlenieks, the late goaltender who was Dubois' teammate during their time with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kivlenieks tragically passed away in a fireworks-related accident in July 2021.

Dubois fondly remembered the time he spent with Kivlenieks, particularly their shared experiences during the goaltender's early career.

"It’s For Matiss, who passed away in Columbus. I was there for his first game, first win. That game at MSG was unbelievable. He was outstanding," he said.

When Kivlenieks tragically lost his life, Dubois contemplated a touching tribute to honor his late friend and teammate:

"And, you know, when he passed away, I remember I went for dinner with one of the trainers and I told him, I'd like to wear number 80. And he was like, we'll do it. Just text your equipment guy in Winnipeg and ask him."

He added,

"I asked the family first if I could. I didn't know if that was something that they wanted to kind of retire, and they said, that would be great. He'd be happy. And how I saw it was I wanted to keep his legacy going because his career got cut short."

Pierre-Luc Dubois hoped to win the Stanley Cup while wearing the jersey number

As Dubois shared this touching story, he revealed his ultimate aspiration: to win the Stanley Cup while wearing number 80:

"Absolutely. When I imagined in my head if I ever win the Stanley Cup, it'll be my last name, but it'll be his number. And that's kind of what made me decide that I wanted to have number 80."

Kivlenieks lost his life in a tragic fireworks-related incident during a Fourth of July celebration in 2021. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office ruled it as accidental, and no criminal charges were filed.

Kivlenieks, a promising young talent, represented Latvia at the world hockey championship and also played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.

Kivlenieks, aged 24, tragically lost his life due to chest injuries caused by an accidental fireworks incident. According to the police, an unforeseen mishap occurred when a fireworks mortar misfired, veering toward individuals nearby. Kivlenieks was unfortunately struck by it.