(Reuters) – The Nottingham Panthers organized a memorial game in honor of Adam Johnson, who tragically passed away after sustaining serious injuries during a game against Sheffield Steelers. The 29-year-old American died last month, with his neck being cut by the skate blade of another player during the match in Sheffield, northern England. The incident was described as a “freak incident” by his club.
Johnson, who had previously played in Germany, Sweden, and the NHL in the United States, joined the Panthers in August. The game in which he was injured was abandoned, and on Saturday, the Panthers played their first match since the incident against Manchester Storm.
The players, wearing special memorial jerseys, gathered at the center of the ice and tapped their sticks on it as a tribute to Johnson. The sold-out 10,000 crowd chanted his name, and a minute’s applause was held after 47 minutes of play to honor Johnson, whose number 47 jersey will be retired.
Since Johnson’s death, local supporters have been leaving tributes outside the Panthers’ arena. Earlier in the week, British police announced that a man had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection to Johnson’s death.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
