On Saturday October 28, an American NHL player, Adam Johnson, playing for the Nottingham Panthers in the UK suffered a serious injury during a game against the Sheffield Steelers.
The injury was caused when Johnson collided with a Sheffield player; the injury was to his neck and believed to have been caused by the Sheffield players skate blade.
After they both collided, Johnson was escorted off the ice all the while still bleeding profusely from the cut on his neck. The game was suspended and Johnson was brought to the hospital. It wasn’t until one day later on Sunday October 29 that he was pronounced deceased.
In memory of Johnson his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as players from the other team they were facing, stood in a circle below a giant screen commemorating him.
The players also wore special ‘AJ 47’ decals on their helmets. People have also placed flowers outside of the Motorpoint Arena where the Nottingham Panthers play. Tributes have been pouring in from all around the world.
The English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) as well as the NHL has taken this accident very seriously and plan to implement new safety measures so something like this could never happen again. It is planned that by January 2024 neck guards for all players will become mandatory.