The death of former NHLer Adam Johnson has led to an outpouring of grief within the hockey community all around the world. During a collision in a game in England’s Elite Ice Hockey League, Adam Johnson of the Nottingham Panthers was cut in the throat by a skate blade.
Johnson, who was 29, received emergency treatment in front of a shocked crowd and teammates, who built a human shield around him to block spectators from seeing what happened. Johnson was taken to the hospital, but it was later announced that he had died as a result of the accident.
Now, a teammate of Adam Johnson shares a heart-wrenching story about what happened on the ice, which he describes as the most traumatizing experience of his entire life.
Swedish player Victor Bjorkung passed the puck to Johnson just before the accident occurred.
”I don’t remember that much, it’s sickening. I went into shock immediately and I’ve made a decision not to watch the video, but people have told me that I played the puck to him, and that I was just right by when it happened,” he said to Swedish outlet Aftonbladet.
”It’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. I can’t sleep at night. I wake up and I panic. Everyday tasks become hard,” he continued.
Bjorkung said the team has been helping the players as much as possible. The team has been working with psychologists and a trauma team and has met every day since the incident.
After the incident, Matt Petgrave, whose skate cut Johnson’s throat, has received hate.
As a result, he decided to close his social media accounts, and Victor Bjorkung finds the hatred towards Petgrave ‘disgusting.’
”I’ve sent him a text. There’s a hate storm against him, and it’s so unnecessary that I feel sick in my stomach. There’s not a chance anyone would do that on purpose,” he said.
”I wrote him and said, ’I just want to check if you’re okay, I know it’s tough right now. We’re here for you, and no one on our team blames this on you. Nobody believes it’s your fault. We’re in this together. Don’t hesitate to reach out.’”
