Ice hockey player in hospital after ‘throat slashed by skate’ during match

Adam Johnson had previously played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins (Picture: Getty; YappApp)

An ice hockey player has been taken to hospital after his throat appeared to be slashed by a skate during a match in Sheffield.

Adam Johnson, a player for the Nottingham Panthers, was rushed off the rink and the team’s game against the Sheffield Steelers was abandoned following the incident.

The 29-year-old, who previously played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, took the brunt of a tackle aimed at one of his team-mates, according to footage of the collision.

Traumatised fans at the Utilita Arena Sheffield – where around 8,000 people had gathered to watch the match – wrote on social media that the injury was the ‘stuff of nightmares’

One woman wrote: ‘That was undoubtedly the worst thing I’ve ever seen happen, I’m so sorry.’

Another wrote: ‘This Adam Johnson situation breaks my heart. The fact neck guards aren’t 100% required everywhere is insane.’

A number of users criticised people sharing the video of the incident, with some attempting to drown out the footage with a clip of Johnson’s first goal for the NHL.

Adam Johnson, from Minnesota, was taken to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital (Picture: Leon McGowran)

Yorkshire Ambulance Service was called to the scene at around 8.20pm yesterday, sending two ambulances and a critical care paramedic.

At 8.23pm, the Nottingham Panthers account on X, formerly Twitter, posted: ‘The game is stopped for a bad injury’, before adding a minute later: ‘Players are returning to the locker rooms.’

Less than ten minutes later, the team posted: ‘Fans have been asked to leave the building due to a major medical emergency.’

The Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, which is the home rink of the Panthers, wrote on social media: ‘Our heartfelt thoughts go out to Adam Johnson, his loved ones, all the Panthers players, staff, fans and the whole ice hockey community, following his horrific injury this evening.’

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