On October 28,2023 former Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey player Adam Johnson died. The accident took place on October 28, 2023 in Sheffield, UK after an apparent collision took place on the ice between Johnson and opposing player, Matt Petgrave. This caused a laceration to the neck by a skate. The Utilita Arena was quickly evacuated as Johnson was rushed off the ice to the nearby medical professionals. Johnson was driven to a nearby hospital after being revived in the ambulance, but he unfortunately did not make it through surgery. (ESPN)
Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers during this incident, and he originally played for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL. Both teams paid tribute to Johnson in their following games, and a memorial was created outside of the Utilita Arena in honor of Adam Johnson. Hockey player Brian Lawton said, “It wasn’t done with the intent to cause this type of harm,” said Lawton. “It was, just in my opinion, reckless.” Kare 11
In the NHL, Johnson made 13 appearances in the rink and scored a total of 4 goals during his career with the Penguins. He then moved to the European hockey leagues where he played in Sweden and Germany before being transferred to the Panthers for the 2023-2024 season.
This accident is currently raising questions on how good hockey protection is on all levels of the sport. Many are pushing for increased protection such as a requirement for neck guards on the ice at all times for all players (CNN). Neck guards will be a good addition to the uniform as it will prevent injuries and accidents like this in the near future. Johnson was just 29 years old.
