Police are investigating the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson after his neck was cut by a skate blade in a game in England.
Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at the Sheffield Steelers when he sustained the cut in a Champions Cup game on Saturday. He died at a hospital. He was a Minnesota native who appeared in a total of 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020.
“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.”
Photo: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY
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 Jan. 1 next year.
The association on Monday gave its “strong recommendation” that all players start wearing a neck guard, effective immediately, adding that 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,” it 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.”
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.
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.
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 about 100 texts from other players inquiring about cut-resistant materials and that the entire inventory sold out on Sunday.
“It’s just crazy, sad, and we don’t have anything left,” Oshie said after practice on Monday. “We’re thinking about his family first. We’ll try to get as many products out there as we can for people.”
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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