Ex-NHL Player Adam Johnson Dies At 29 After ‘Freak Accident’ During Match

Former NHL player Adam Johnson died after a “freak accident” during a match in the UK’s Elite Ice Hockey League. 

On Saturday, Johnson suffered a neck injury due to a collision with one of his opponents, where he got cut by a skate. He was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers at the time of the accident. 

Immediately after he got injured, Johnson’s fellow players formed a circle around him as they waited for the protective screens to be activated. Johnson was given emergency treatment and then was transported to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital. 

The Panthers tweeted during the game that the match had “stopped” due to “a bad injury.”

Ten minutes later they announced, “Fans have been asked to leave the building due to a major medical emergency.”

Johnson’s death was announced on the next day. 

The Panthers paid tribute to the player on X writing, “The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night. The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner, and all his friends at this extremely difficult time.”

The team continued to memorialize Johnson, writing, “Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him. The Club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.” 

The team has sent out several resources to fans who witnessed the accident and require support. All of their games scheduled for Sunday were postponed. 

Johnson’s partner, Ryan Wolfe, paid tribute to him by posting a black and white photo of the player on her Instagram story alongside the caption, “My sweet angel. I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”

In addition to this, she reposted Ontario Reign’s post dedicated to Johnson, which includes photos of the team’s players setting down and touching Johnson’s jersey on the rink. The team added the sentiment, “Forever in our hearts.”

Johnson, who was born in Minnesota, played two seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL and had played for Germany, Sweden and the American Hockey League throughout his career. 

The Penguins also offered their condolences on X, writing, “The Pittsburgh Penguins joining the entire hockey world in mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon. We offer our deepest condolences to Adam’s family and friends, as well as all of Adam’s past and present teammates and coaches.”

They added, “Adam will always be a part of the Penguins family. It was our honor to watch him fulfill his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.”