[1] Liv was born in Gdynia, Poland, as Patryk Śliż, given to an orphanage in Gdańsk and adopted by a Swedish family around the age of two.

[7] Liv signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings in May 2006,[6] but started season 2006–07 playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Two days later, Liv was assigned to the Toledo Storm in ECHL when the Grand Rapids Griffins recalled goalie Logan Koopmans.

After one season with the Detroit Red Wings' organization playing mostly for Grand Rapids, totaling a save percentage of .895 over 34 games, Liv signed a three-year contract with his former Swedish club HV71.

[11] He continued the 2007–08 season by winning the Swedish Championship and was awarded the Guldpucken as the Player of the Year in the Elitserien.

[12] On 7 September 2011, Liv was killed when a Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger aircraft, carrying nearly his entire Lokomotiv team, crashed just outside Yaroslavl, Russia.

"[13][14][15] As a result of Liv's death, the premier round games of the 2011–12 Elitserien season, between 13–15 September, began with a one-minute silence.

1 jersey was retired and raised to the rafters by HV71 in Kinnarps Arena prior to HV71's home game against Timrå IK on 10 January 2012.

[20] In their 2011–12 season opener, each member of the Detroit Red Wings wore a patch bearing "BM*RS*SL" to honour the memories of Liv, Lokomotiv coach Brad McCrimmon, and defenseman Ruslan Salei.