The Nottingham Panthers, competing in the British Ice Hockey League, held a memorial match on Saturday in honor of their late player Adam Johnson, marking the team's first event since his unexpected passing. Johnson, 29, died last October after sustaining serious injuries during a game against the Sheffield Steelers at their arena. He suffered a significant neck injury due to a collision with the skate of an opposing player, which his club described as a "freak accident." The American player, who joined the Panthers in August, later passed away in the hospital as the match was called off. Johnson had previously played in Germany, Sweden, and the North American Hockey League.
The Panthers played their first match since Johnson's death against the Manchester Storm on Saturday, in front of a crowd full of fans. The players donned jerseys featuring images of the late player and phrases honoring him, while the audience chanted Johnson's name. After 47 minutes into the game, the attendees applauded for a minute in tribute to the player who wore jersey number 47. Following his death, local fans placed bouquets of flowers outside the Panthers' arena in memory of Johnson, a former player for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last week, British police stated that they arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter following Johnson's death.
