Minnesotan Adam Johnson dies following 'freak accident' in hockey game

The 29-year-old suffered a slashed neck during a game Saturday in England.
Minnesotan Adam Johnson dies following 'freak accident' in hockey game
Minnesotan Adam Johnson dies following 'freak accident' in hockey game /

Team officials confirmed early Sunday morning that Adam Johnson, a 29-year-old Minnesotan, died Saturday after suffering an injury in what is being called a “freak accident” during hockey game in England. 

Johnson, who is from Hibbing and was a finalist for the Mr. Hockey Award in 2013 before starring at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, appeared to be hit in the neck by the skate blade of a player who had been upended during a mid-ice collision. 

“The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night,” the team said. 

"Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him. The Club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him."

BBC Radio reporter Peter Spencer confirmed the mid-ice collision, noting that players formed a ring around Johnson as he received treatment from paramedics on the ice. Screens were eventually placed around Johnson on the ice and the 8,000 fans attending the game were asked to leave. 

Johnson was in his first season with the Nottingham Panthers, a club in the Elite Ice Hockey League in England. He played in Germany last season and previously spent time in the American Hockey League and played 13 games in the NHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

His one career goal in the NHL came in a 2019 game against his home state Minnesota Wild. 

Oct 12, 2019; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Adam Johnson (47) celebrates with center Zach Aston-Reese (46) after Johnson scored a goal against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Xcel Energy Center.  / Credit: David Berding-USA TODAY Sports

Published
Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Title: Bring Me The Sports co-owner, editor Email: joe@bringmethenews.com Twitter: @JoeBMTN Education: Southwest Minnesota State University Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota Expertise: All things Minnesota sports Nelson has covered Minnesota sports for two decades, starting his media career in sports radio. He worked at small market Minnesota stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before joining one of the nation's highest-rated sports stations, KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. There, he was the producer of the top-rated mid-morning sports show with Minnesota Vikings announcer Paul Allen.  His radio experience helped blossom a career as a sports writer, joining Minneapolis-based Bring Me The News in 2011.  Nelson and Adam Uren became co-owners of Bring Me The News in 2018 and have since more than tripled the site's traffic and launched Bring Me The Sports in cooperation with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation umbrella. Nelson has covered the Super Bowl and numerous training camps, NFL combines, the MLB All-Star Game and Minnesota playoff games, in addition to the day-to-day happenings on and off the field of play.  Nelson also has extensive knowledge of non-sports subjects, including news and weather. He works closely with Bring Me The News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard to produce a bevy of weather and climate information for Minnesota readers.  Nelson helped launch and manage the Bring Me The News Radio Network, which provided more than 50 radio stations around Minnesota with daily news, sports and weather reports from 2011-17.