Teammates and fans gathered Saturday in memory of former NHL player Adam Johnson, who died on Oct. 28 after his neck was fatally cut during a game with his team in England.
Players and staff shared memories of the 29-year-old Johnson at a memorial at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, and fans were invited onto the carpeted rink to sign books of remembrance, according to BBC.com.
A two-minute moment of silence also was scheduled to be held for the Minnesota-born Johnson, whose carotid artery was severed by the skate blade of Sheffield Steelers player Matt Petgrave last Saturday in England’s Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).
The incident has been described as a “freak accident” by Johnson’s team, the Nottingham Panthers, but South Yorkshire Police issued a statement on Monday that they are investigating the circumstances of Johnson’s death.
The club also made local mental health charities available at the arena on Saturday “for those that want to have a conversation.”
An official fundraising page also was launched by the team to raise money for undisclosed charities in the former Penguins’ hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota.
Former NHLer Trent McCleary, who once took a puck to his neck, told The Post earlier this week that he had flashbacks from the incident.
“Absolutely. I’m human,” McCleary, who years ago suffered a traumatic, on-ice throat injury, said Tuesday. “I’ve never seen the video, and I don’t want to see the video [of Johnson]. But I can only imagine because I’ve seen the Clint Malarchuk video. I’ve seen the Richard Zednik video. It’s something you don’t really need to see.
“But I absolutely feel for his family, for his friends. It’s a horrible accident.”
Johnson’s Nottingham teammate Victor Bjorkung spoke about the tragic incident earlier this week.
“I have tried to suppress a lot,” Bjorkung 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.”
