The death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson during a game in England reverberated around the hockey community Monday, with moments of silence held around the NHL and Johnson’s former team Pittsburgh Penguins adding “AJ 47” decals to their helmets.
Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered a skate cut to his neck in a Champions Cup game Saturday. He died at a hospital. He was a Minnesota native who appeared in a total of 13 NHL games with the Penguins in 2019 and 2020.
The Anaheim Ducks joined the Penguins at center ice for a tribute to Johnson before Monday’s game.
A black-and-white photo of Johnson was displayed on the scoreboard and a white spotlight on center ice. The video tribute included Johnson’s debut in Nashville and his first NHL goal in Minnesota. Instead of a moment of silence, the Penguins asked for one final cheer for Johnson, as fans applauded and players tapped their sticks around the center circle.
The Penguins started their third line to honor Johnson, who joined the organization in 2017.
“It’s an incredible tragedy,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “He was a great kid. It was a privilege to be his coach.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.