Sheffield, England (93.7 The Fan/WGR 550) - Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson tragically died on Saturday after a "freak accident" during a game in England. He was 29-years-old.
The incident took place in the second period as Johnson's Nottingham Panthers were taking on the Sheffield Steelers.
As the forward was cutting through the middle of the ice and to the Sheffield blue line, a Steelers defender started to fall off balance, causing his one skate to come up and violently strike Johnson, slashing his neck.
The native of Hibbing, Minnesota was playing his first season in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) with Nottingham after spending all of last year playing in Germany with the Ausburger Panthers in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Johnson appeared in 13 NHL games with the Penguins from 2018 through 2020, where he scored one goal and registered three assists. He signed with the Penguins as an undrafted free agent following his 2016-17 season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where his Bulldogs team reached the NCAA Frozen Four final and loss to the University of Denver.
The Penguins released the following statement, following Johnson’s death:
“The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, whose life was 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. 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.”
A number of teams across the NHL and the hockey world paid tribute to Johnson during Sunday's game action, including a moment of science at the NHL's Heritage Classic between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers.