UMD coach mourns fallen hockey player Adam Johnson: "They all loved him"
DULUTH, Minn. — The former college coach to Hibbing native and former University of Minnesota Duluth hockey player Adam Johnson says the death of the player in a midgame accident is a devastating moment.
Johnson, 29, was playing in a professional game in England when an opposing player's skate blade cut his neck. The injury was so devastating that the league ended the game and cleared the arena. Johnson died later at the hospital.
The University of Minnesota Duluth men's hockey team met Monday to talk about what happened; there are still some players and staff who knew him well.
Head coach Scott Sandelin says, as talented as Johnson was on the ice, he was an even better person outside of the game.
A 2013 finalist for Mr. Hockey, Minnesota's top high school hockey award, Johnson also led Hibbing-Chisholm to its last high school state tournament appearance in 2011. The former Bulldog went on to play 13 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL after a standout couple of years in college. He then played in Canada and then in Europe, most recently with the Nottingham Panthers in the United Kingdom's Elite League.
Sandelin called him an unbelievable skater and a difference-maker both on and off the ice.
"I remember his little smile, every day. I liked his wit. Like he had this little wit. I always say it's the Iron Range humor, but just the impact he had on his teammates, too. They all loved him. It's easy to say that now but they did. He was a fun guy to be around," Sandelin said.
Meanwhile, tributes are pouring in from around the hockey world. One of his former teams, the Ontario Reign, brought out his jersey to center ice after winning their game Sunday, so that players and fans could honor him.
In a statement, the Nottingham Panthers expressed their heartbreak and devastation saying, in part, "Adam, our number 47 was not only an outstanding hockey player but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him." The league there postponed all three games Sunday. Nottingham had a game scheduled for Tuesday, which has also been postponed.
The Minnesota Wild also issued a statement saying, in part, "The State of Hockey is grieving for Adam, his family, and his hockey community." There's also a growing tribute outside of Johnson's high school hockey arena in Hibbing.
The UMD Hockey team released a statement saying:
"Adam was loved and admired by his teammates, coaches and staff. As talented as he was on the ice, he was even a better person. Adam remained connected to the program and for our time with him we are eternally grateful. Adam, we love you, we will miss you."