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Nottingham Panthers Retire Late Adam Johnson’s Jersey

The Nottingham Panthers have set a date to retire the No. 47 worn by Adam Johnson.

Nick Horwat

Oct 30, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Members of the Anaheim Ducks and the Pittsburgh Penguins stand at center ice for a moment of silence at the PPG Paints Arena to honor former Penguin forward Adam Johnson (on scoreboard) who was tragically killed in a hockey related accident in Europe. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Members of the Anaheim Ducks and the Pittsburgh Penguins stand at center ice for a moment of silence at the PPG Paints Arena to honor former Penguin forward Adam Johnson (on scoreboard) who was tragically killed in a hockey related accident in Europe. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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The hockey world was hit with an unthinkable tragedy early in the 2023-24 season when former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson died during a game in the EIHL with the Nottingham Panthers. Johnson lost his life after an opposing player’s skate blade struck him in the neck.

Johnson was 29 years old and playing in just his seventh game with the Panthers. To honor Johnson’s life and memory, the Panthers will officially retire his No. 47.

The Panthers announced that they will retire Johnson’s number on December 14, 2024 ahead of their match with the Fife Flyers.

Members of Johnson’s family will be in attendance for a special pre-game ceremony that will make him the seventh player to have their number retired by the Panthers.

“We were honored to have Adam in Nottingham and not only was he a great talent on the ice, he was a fantastic person off the ice also,” Panthers CEO, Omar Pacha, said. “Adam made an impact on everyone who met him in the short time he was with us and he will forever be in our thoughts.”

In his seven games with the Panthers, Johnson had scored four goals and three assists for seven points. Before making his way to Europe to continue his professional hockey career, Johnson played three seasons with the Penguins organization.

Johnson played 13 games at the NHL level and his only career goal came in his home state of Minnesota against the Wild. He joined the Penguins organization as a college free agent signing after two seasons with the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

The death of Johnson forced many players and leagues around the world to begin utilizing neck guards and other cut-resistant pieces of equipment to a much higher degree. Some leagues and organizations made neck protection mandatory and many NHLers began wearing them.

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Nick Horwat

NICK HORWAT

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