Hockey player Adam Johnson dies on ice

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Psycho_X

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Heard about this but just saw the video. The video is disturbing to see even though it's only a small cut of what happened. Essentially a player from the other team swung his leg up to seemingly kick the other player in the head area. He cut the players throat and he bled out within minutes. A lot of talk about what might happen to the player who injured him and he may be charged with manslaughter. Apparently this isn't the first time this player has played dirty. Idk what to think about it as I don't follow minor league hockey but this is disturbing to watch.


View: https://x.com/Jamesmk2010/status/1718553026246427081?s=20

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — American hockey player Adam Johnson, who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, has died after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England on Saturday, his team said. He was 29.

Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut during the second period of the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

“The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night,” the team said Sunday.

“The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner and all his friends at this extremely difficult time. Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.”

A Minnesota native, Johnson spent 13 games over parts of the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons playing for Pittsburgh in the NHL before spending the 2020-21 season in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks. He had a goal and three assists for the Penguins.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the life of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon,” the Penguins said Sunday in a statement. “We offer our deepest condolences to Adam’s family and friends, as well as all of Adam’s past and present teammates and coaches. Adam will always be part of the Penguins family.”

Johnson played college hockey at Minnesota-Duluth, helping the Bulldogs reach two NCAA Tournaments. He scored an overtime game-winner in the 2017 tournament, sending Minnesota-Duluth to the Frozen Four by beating Boston University.

He also played for three American Hockey League clubs during his career and in Germany with the Augsburger Panther in 2022-23 before agreeing to join Nottingham for this season.


“Our thoughts are also with the fans and staff of both clubs, especially those who attended or were following the game, who will be devastated following today’s news,” the team added.

“The Panthers would like to thank everyone who rushed to support Adam last night in the most testing of circumstances. Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him. The club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.”

The league announced that all three games scheduled for Sunday in Belfast, Fife and Guildford were postponed following Johnson’s death. Nottingham’s game scheduled for Tuesday also was postponed.

Ian Laperriere, who coached Johnson with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, said it was tough news.

“Great kid (and) teammate,” Laperriere said in a text message. “Only great things to say about him.”
The NHL has had skate cut scares throughout its history, most notably Buffalo goaltender Clint Malarchuk, who took a blade to the neck during a game against St. Louis on March 22, 1989. Malarchuk received rapid medical attention and played again 10 days later.
 
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Psycho_X

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I should edit to say that there is public opinion that the guy should be charged with a crime not that he will be or that it is likely.
 

Selassie I

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That is one of the most disturbing scenes that I've ever seen in sports.
 

Merlin

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I'd charge him with manslaughter if I was the DA.
 

Dodgersrf

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After watching it a few times, this was no accident. It appears to be an intentional act.
 

Psycho_X

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I'd charge him with manslaughter if I was the DA.

After watching it a few times, this was no accident. It appears to be an intentional act.
Agreed, I could see if he was being spun in some way with his backfoot coming around it'd be accidental but seems fairly obvious that he lifts his left leg up and seems to put a bit of power behind a kick into the guy. If he was losing control or off balance he'd use that leg to brace himself or try to regain balance. Seems intentional to at least make contact with the guy even if it wasn't his intent to do what resulted from it. Just fucking senseless.
 

Psycho_X

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Hmm, original tweet seems to have been removed maybe due to gore? I just saw this video which is more zoomed in (without the aftermath) and after watching this version I think he intentionally tried to cause bodily harm to him. There was no contact between him and another player... he made a deliberate surge towards Johnson and essentially kung fu kicked him in the head with his razor sharp blade. Fuck this guy, he needs to be prosecuted.


View: https://x.com/Mcdabber612/status/1718675071269490973?s=20
 

Mackeyser

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Hmm, original tweet seems to have been removed maybe due to gore? I just saw this video which is more zoomed in (without the aftermath) and after watching this version I think he intentionally tried to cause bodily harm to him. There was no contact between him and another player... he made a deliberate surge towards Johnson and essentially kung fu kicked him in the head with his razor sharp blade. Fuck this guy, he needs to be prosecuted.


View: https://x.com/Mcdabber612/status/1718675071269490973?s=20


Lord have mercy… that’s the single dirtiest thing in sports I've ever seen in my life.
 

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Yeah, I don't think I wanna watch this, but if this prick was intentionally using his skate as a weapon.... Draw and quarter his dumb ass...
 

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I don't know, guys. There's been a lot of discussion about this on the hockey forum I frequent. I have not watched this video (I couldn't even watch Clint Malarchuk get his carotid artery slashed, and he survived.), and I refuse to watch it. From what ex-hockey players are saying, he may have caught an edge with his skate and ended up tripping himself, and this happened. We're talking about people who have skated for years and years.

A freak accident, maybe a reckless action at worst, but I highly, highly doubt Petgrave did it intentionally, and according to a lot of reports, he's extremely distraught over what happened to Johnson.
 

Dodgersrf

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I don't know, guys. There's been a lot of discussion about this on the hockey forum I frequent. I have not watched this video (I couldn't even watch Clint Malarchuk get his carotid artery slashed, and he survived.), and I refuse to watch it. From what ex-hockey players are saying, he may have caught an edge with his skate and ended up tripping himself, and this happened. We're talking about people who have skated for years and years.

A freak accident, maybe a reckless action at worst, but I highly, highly doubt Petgrave did it intentionally, and according to a lot of reports, he's extremely distraught over what happened to Johnson.
You should watch the video.

You’re doubts about the play being intentional will be cleared up.
 

Memento

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You should watch the video.

You’re doubts about the play being intentional will be cleared up.

I am not watching the video, and I am basing my opinion on many, many others who have watched and who have skated on hockey rinks, have played hockey (at lower levels) in the past. I have not skated, and I have no desire to watch someone die.

Reckless? Most certainly. But I have every bit of confidence in my mind that it was not an intentional murder.
 

Dodgersrf

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I am not watching the video, and I am basing my opinion on many, many others who have watched and who have skated on hockey rinks, have played hockey (at lower levels) in the past. I have not skated, and I have no desire to watch someone die.

Reckless? Most certainly. But I have every bit of confidence in my mind that it was not an intentional murder.
Intentional Murder?
No

Intentionally lifting his right leg and aiming it at his opponents head? Most definitely
 

Mackeyser

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Yeah, that leg kick was intentional AND it doesn’t surprise me that the player is remorseful.

He extended his foot which took effort. Had he just fallen, the foot behaved very differently.

I’ve watched it a few times and each time it’s more disturbing
 

Tano

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It was definitely intentional.

Memento - the video only shows the kick to the head and the player lying down on the ice.

You don't really see any of the results of the kick.
 

Memento

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It was definitely intentional.

Memento - the video only shows the kick to the head and the player lying down on the ice.

You don't really see any of the results of the kick.

I don’t care. I am not watching someone die in front of me again. I did that at eleven years old with a motorcyclist remnants splattered across an intersection. I will not watch Adam Johnson’s death.

But for the record, I’ve seen people who have played hockey at a high level - including Johnson’s own teammates - say that this was an absolute freak accident.

Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened on an ice rink; players get clipped and their skates go up high, even in the NHL. I believe something really similar happened with Olli Jokinen and Richard Zednik, and Zednik nearly died.

When your skates catch an edge, you do specific movements to balance yourself - including kicking out your legs. It only gets more pronounced when you’re also getting hit at the same time.

I cannot believe that Petgrave did this intentionally, especially considering that the guy was inconsolable immediately after what happened, and definitely inconsolable in the days after.
 

Tano

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I don’t care. I am not watching someone die in front of me again. I did that at eleven years old with a motorcyclist remnants splattered across an intersection. I will not watch Adam Johnson’s death.

But for the record, I’ve seen people who have played hockey at a high level - including Johnson’s own teammates - say that this was an absolute freak accident.

Sadly, this is not the first time this has happened on an ice rink; players get clipped and their skates go up high, even in the NHL. I believe something really similar happened with Olli Jokinen and Richard Zednik, and Zednik nearly died.

When your skates catch an edge, you do specific movements to balance yourself - including kicking out your legs. It only gets more pronounced when you’re also getting hit at the same time.

I cannot believe that Petgrave did this intentionally, especially considering that the guy was inconsolable immediately after what happened, and definitely inconsolable in the days after.
I have watched quite a few hockey games in my life and I have never seen a guy fly thru the air like he did directly at another player.

He pushed into another opposing player and then flew thru the air to get that guy.

It looked intentional but he definitely went higher than he thought he would.