The girlfriend of former NHL player Adam Johnson penned a heartbreaking tribute Monday to the late forward, who died tragically over the weekend in a “freak accident” during a game.
In a post shared on her Instagram Stories, Ryan Wolfe wrote alongside a photo of Johnson, “My sweet sweet angel. I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
Johnson, a member of the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), died Saturday after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a contest in England.
He was 29 years old.
Johnson was cut in a second-period collision in a game against the Sheffield Steelers, according to BBC, with players “form[ing] a ring around Johnson” following the incident.
Fans attending the game had “been asked to leave the building due to a major medical emergency,” the Panthers posted to their X account Saturday.
The EIHL confirmed the devastating news Sunday in a separate social media post.
“The Elite Ice Hockey League is heartbroken to confirm that Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson sadly passed away following a freak accident in Saturday’s game between Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers,” the statement read on X.
The Panthers postponed games for Sunday and Tuesday in the wake of Johnson’s death.
A Minnesota native, Johnson played for two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth before joining the Pittsburgh Penguins’ AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
He appeared in 13 NHL games, all of which were with the Penguins.
“The Pittsburgh Penguins join the entire hockey world in mourning the loss of Adam Johnson, whose life tragically ended far too soon,” the organization said in a statement.
“Adam will always be a part of the Penguins family. It was our honor to watch him fulfill his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.”
Johnson joined the Panthers in August.
He got engaged over the summer, Johnson’s former college teammate, Riley Tufte, told The Athletic, which noted Wolfe had been living in England with him.