The ambulance didn’t arrive until it was called
Adam Johnson wasn’t a big hockey star. He went undrafted into the NHL, but worked his way up in the college leagues. Spent the 2017-18 season in the AHL with Wilkes-Barry and scored 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 70 games.
He stood out in the NHL and over the next two seasons he was promoted to the base of Pittsburgh, where he played six and seven championship games. True, it didn’t work out and Johnson scored 4 (1+3) points. But he showed up in the AHL. Then he went to the Swedish championship, then there was the German championship. And this season he played in the English championship, scoring one point per game (4+3 in seven) and was in a very good position, becoming one of the favorites of the Nottingham Panthers fans.
The Panthers faced Sheffield on Saturday. By the way, 8,000 fans gathered at the match. Attendance at the KHL level.
And in one of the episodes, Johnson collided with a falling opponent and hit him in the neck with his skate. Such cases are always dangerous in hockey. You remember that in 1989, Buffalo goaltender Clint Malarchuk suffered in the same situation. His artery was cut by a skate and blood flowed like a fountain onto the ice. But the hockey player’s life was then quickly saved by doctors. And now…
An eyewitness said that after suffering a throat injury, Johnson attempted to return to his team. But he fell before reaching the bench, causing panic among players and doctors who rushed to help the injured star.
That is, the club’s doctors turned out to be inexperienced, and in this situation they were confused. Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it received a call at around 8.21pm, after which two ambulances and an emergency doctor were sent to the arena and one person was taken to hospital.
But Johnson could not be saved.
English championship matches suspended
Already, from the information appearing in the British media, two main conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, the doctors of the English Championship hockey clubs were not prepared for such a situation. Second, there were no ambulances or intensive care units at the Utilita Arena Sheffield, which is considered mandatory for the KHL. Our league already had a tragic experience when Alexey Cherepanov died in October 2008. The young Avangard striker suffered a heart attack during the match in Chekhov against Vityaz, and there was no necessary medical equipment.
Adam Johnson’s injury appeared so serious that Nottingham’s match against Sheffield had to be abandoned, with shocked supporters leaving the arena in tears. They were asked to leave the stadium and the hockey player’s body was quickly hidden from the public.
The murdered player’s mother, Kari, shared her grief on social media on Sunday morning: “I lost half of my heart.”
Nottingham released an official statement saying “everyone is devastated by this news” and “we pay tribute to a great teammate and an incredible person who had his whole life ahead of him.”
And representatives of the English championship said they were “heartbroken by this tragic news, and all Sunday matches will be postponed”, a day of mourning was declared in British hockey.
Heartbroken fans posted their condolences to the star on social media using the hashtag “sticksoutfor47” – Johnson was number 47.
Hockey player played without neck protection
“It was terrible. People were crying and losing consciousness,” said shocked spectators. And on British television they showed heavy footage which was broadcast in a loop. Here is a Sheffield player trying to stop the one of the Nottingham players. Then he falls and his leg flies over his head. By a tragic coincidence, Johnson is nearby and the horse flies straight into his neck.
Yes, hockey uses neck protection, and it is common equipment, although not always required. Adults are therefore not obliged to wear it. Johnson wasn’t having it. But even such protection might not have saved him if the blow had landed in a certain place.
It’s fate…
But the organizers of the English Hockey Championship matches must study this tragic experience to draw conclusions. As it seems from the outside, their security in this story was not up to par.
Source : MatchTV
I’m Emma Smith, a dedicated journalist and avid storyteller. I have been writing for news websites for the past 5 years, reporting on hockey news and delivering in-depth analysis of the sport. In my current role as Author at Athletistic, I write about hockey events from around the world to keep followers up-to-date with what’s happening in the sport.
