Inquest to open into death of Nottingham Panthers ice hockey player Adam Johnson

Police investigation ongoing into "freak accident"

An inquest into the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson will open on Friday.

The Nottingham Panthers forward died following a freak incident in which his neck was cut by the blade of an opposing player during a match against the Sheffield Steelers.

Johnson was treated on the ice but died from the wound, which his team later described in a statement as “a freak accident”.

South Yorkshire Police say their investigation into the incident is ongoing but that it will take some time.

Meanwhile, the coroner will begin an inquest at the Medico-Legal Centre in Sheffield at 9am on Friday to look into the circumstances around the 29-year-old’s death.

A tribute board to Johnson has been erected outside the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham where the Panthers play their games with floral tributes laid on the ground in front.

Up to 8,000 spectators were watching at the time of the incident and were ushered out of the venue in Sheffield as medics treated Johnson.

Panthers fans have been invited to the Motorpoint Arena to a memorial event on Saturday from 5.30pm in Johnson’s honour.

The club have also launched an official fundraising page “with the permission of Adam’s family” in the wake of the charity. They said any funds raised would go towards charitable activities in Johnson’s hometown on Hibbing in the United States.

Another independent GoFundMe page has raised in excess of £17,000 for the player’s family since his death at the weekend.

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