American Adam Johnson, forward for the Nottingham Panthers, has died after suffering a serious cut to the neck with a skate during a British ice hockey Challenge Cup match played on Saturday, the BBC website reports this Sunday.
The game against Sheffield Steelers was stopped in the 35th minute when the 29-year-old American received a heavy blow to the neck with an opponent's skate. He received emergency treatment from paramedics on the ice.
His teammates formed a circle around Johnson immediately after the incident, before the pads were lifted and the players returned to the locker room. He was subsequently transferred to Sheffield North General Hospital.
Before arriving in the United Kingdom, Johnson previously played in the North American National Hockey League (NHL), where he played 13 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He moved to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) for the 2020-21 season before spells with the Ontario Reign and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League.
Johnson played for German side Augsburger Panther before signing for Nottingham Panthers in August. The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) confirmed that Sunday's games across the United Kingdom have been postponed.
