(Nottingham) The England Hockey League team for which Adam Johnson played retired his number 47 jersey on Saturday as part of a memorial game to honor the American who died after a skate An opposing player cut his neck during a match at the end of October.
Nottingham Panthers players appeared to be wearing neck gaiters, incidentally, although team management did not confirm this.
Panthers leaders announced their initiative moments before the start of their game against the Manchester Storm, as players from both teams stood in a circle at center ice at Motorpoint Arena.
“He will forever be our number 47,” said house announcer Stef Litchfield. He was not only an exceptional hockey player, but also a great teammate. He was an incredible person who had his whole life ahead of him. We will miss him very much. »
The Panthers hadn’t played since that Oct. 28 game in Sheffield.
The former Pittsburgh Penguins’ death at the age of 29 not only prompted the hockey world to reexamine safety regulations, but it also sparked a local criminal investigation that led to the arrest of a man suspected of manslaughter.
The match, which was broadcast for free on YouTube, did not count in the Elite Ice Hockey League standings. Rather, it was intended to bring players and fans together as they try to move forward.
“We’re not just hockey fans, we’re a hockey family,” Panthers fan Margaret Cartwright said before the game, as she visited a makeshift shrine where fans had laid flowers, wreaths, jerseys, team scarves and handwritten notes in Johnson’s honor.
The match – a duel without too much intensity and played without body checks – ended with a score of 4-4.
Panthers players received a standing ovation when they came out for warmups and some greeted and chatted with fans between shots.
The Nottingham coaching staff stood arm in arm on the bench, while players and fans looked at the scoreboard to see highlights of Johnson’s career.
Storm players wore specially designed white jerseys with the number 47 in a circle on the front.
In the third period, the action was stopped during the 47th minute of play, allowing the 10,000 spectators — a packed house — as well as the coaches, players and referees to applaud.
An autopsy confirmed that Johnson died from a neck injury. South Yorkshire Police did not identify the suspect or give his age. He was arrested on Tuesday and released on bail a day later.
Matt Petgrave, a defender for the Sheffield Steelers, was the other player involved in the incident.
Johnson had crossed the blue line with the puck, into the Sheffield defensive zone, when Petgrave collided with another Panthers player who was nearby. Petgrave’s left skate lifted as he began to fall and the blade struck Johnson in the neck.
Neither the Steelers nor the league have provided information on Petgrave’s status with the team. His agent declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press earlier this week.
“Everyone is handling the situation in their own way, some are negative. The majority of us try to be positive,” Cartwright said.
“It was just a very, very unfortunate accident. The unfortunate person who caused it must live with it for the rest of their life. I think that’s punishment enough. No one would do this deliberately, no one. That’s how it happened, in a split second something went wrong and unfortunately we lost poor Adam. »
A Minnesota native, Johnson was in his first season in Nottingham, following stints in Germany and a handful of games for the Penguins in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. He lived in Nottingham with his girlfriend, also from the United States.
The English Ice Hockey Association, which governs the sport at levels below the Elite League, responded to Johnson’s death by requiring all players in England to wear neck guards from the start of the year 2024.