Former NHL player Adam Johnson unfortunately passed away after a freak accident on the ice on Oct. 28, 2023. The tragedy was recognized by many hockey teams around the world. Johnson’s wife and other players around the world have also come out or released statements regarding the situation.
The incident happened during a game between Johnson’s Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers. His neck was apparently cut by another player’s skate midgame, in front of fans. According to NPR, “Johnson was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead, the South Yorkshire Police said. He was 29.”
Before moving to England, Johnson had formerly played for the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins, in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. He played a total of 13 games in the NHL, recording a total of four points. Despite not having a huge impact on the league during his time playing, Johnson has certainly had one on the rest of the world.
On Nov. 6, Johnson’s wife, Ryan Wolfe, delivered remarks on the death of her husband, saying, “Hi babe, I want you to know how much I love you and adore you. You’ve been so amazingly supportive and kind to me since the day we met, and I couldn’t have been more grateful for it. I always thought that maybe if I was lucky enough, after a lifetime together I might start to be more like you. You are such a special person. You have the best sense of humor, the biggest heart, the quickest wit and the kindest soul. You’re unbelievably loyal, dedicated and smart. You’re so, so smart. Whether it came to school or life in general. You just seem to have it all figured out, which gave me so much peace and comfort and made me feel like we could do anything or be anything and we’d be OK. We’d be happy.”
Thousands of Johnson’s family members, friends, and many others also gathered on Monday to grieve and remember the player. Overall, such a response only serves to bring the international hockey community together and once again remind us of how closely connected it is. Hopefully, hockey players will take more caution in similar situations on the ice and such an incident never happens again.
