A member of of England’s Nottingham Panthers hockey team has reacted to teammate Adam Johnson’s death, calling the on-ice tragedy ‘the most traumatizing thing in his entire life.’
‘I have tried to suppress a lot,’ Victor Bjorkung, a Swedish defenseman for the English hockey club, told Swedish outlet Expressen, as translated by the Nottingham Post. ‘You are so shocked at the moment, everything goes so damn fast. One moment you have your friend there, the next second he’s gone.’
The 29-year-old Johnson was killed Saturday after crashing into members of the Sheffield Steelers. The Minnesota native’s throat was slashed by an opponent’s skate blade in the collision, and as a result, he was rushed to the hospital where he was later declared dead.
Bjorkung and his teammates have been meeting every day and speaking with psychologists and a trauma team, according to the report.
‘Being on the ice when a friend I hold close dies like that. It’s terrible. It went so damn fast,’ Bjorkung said.
Adam Johnson, 29, was killed Saturday after having his throat slashed by an opponent’s blade
Victor Bjorkung, a Swedish player for the English hockey club, discussed Johnson’s death
‘I was a few meters away from him and I have a lot of memory gaps, but I have been told that I played the puck up to him on the left wing and then it takes a few seconds before… well, everyone knows what happens after that.’
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Johnson’s death.
‘Our officers remain at the scene carrying out inquiries and our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing,’ South Yorkshire Police said on Monday. ‘We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our inquiries.’
The English Ice Hockey Association, which governs the sport below the Elite League, reacted to Johnson’s death by requiring all players in England to wear neck guards from the start of 2024.
Johnson seen seconds before the freak incident at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on Saturday
Neck guards will be mandatory from January 1 for all on-ice activities. The EIHA gave on Monday its ‘strong recommendation’ that all players start wearing a neck guard, effective immediately. It said neck guards would not be mandatory immediately because of anticipated supply issues.
‘It is unacceptable for any player to lose their life while playing sport,’ the EIHA said. ‘Our responsibility is not only to avert the recurrence of such a heartbreaking accident, but also to pre-emptively address other foreseeable incidents in the future.’
Players in the U.K. are allowed to play without neck guards after they turn 18.
Johnson’s death and its aftermath reverberated around the hockey community, with moments of silence held around the NHL and the Penguins adding ‘AJ 47’ decals to their helmets.
The Anaheim Ducks joined the Penguins at center ice for a tribute to Johnson before Monday’s game.
A black-and-white photo of Johnson was displayed on the scoreboard and a white spotlight on center ice. The video tribute included Johnson’s debut in Nashville and his first NHL goal in Minnesota. Instead of a moment of silence, the Penguins asked for one final cheer for Johnson, as fans applauded and players tapped their sticks around the center circle.
Johnson’s throat was cut by the blade of Sheffield Steelers’ Matt Petgrave (file image)
The Penguins started their third line on Monday to honor Johnson, who joined the organization in 2017.
‘It’s an incredible tragedy,’ Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. ‘He was a great kid. It was a privilege to be his coach.’
Hockey manufacturer Bauer called for collaboration around the sport for increased awareness and a mandate on cut-resistant neck protection.
‘Along with the larger hockey community, we mourn Adam’s tragic passing,’ CEO Ed Kinnaly said in a statement. ‘We believe now is the time for the hockey community to collectively come together to take meaningful action in an urgent manner.’
Ice hockey is in mourning following the ‘freak accident’ which saw Adam Johnson killed
Kinnaly said Bauer was committed to educating parents and players on the importance of cut-resistant gear, work with professional athletes to get feedback on product design and collaborate with governing bodies such as USA Hockey and Hockey Canada and youth organizations to mandate and enforce neck protection.
Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie, who co-owns the Warroad Hockey equipment and apparel company named after his hometown in Minnesota, said he received roughly 100 texts from other players inquiring about cut-resistant materials and that the entire inventory sold out Sunday.
‘It’s just crazy, sad, and we don’t have anything left,’ Oshie said after practice Monday.
‘We’re thinking about his family first. We’ll try to get as many products out there as we can for people.’
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