Fans gather to pay their respects to Adam Johnson
He died after a serious incident last weekend.
Last updated 5th Nov 2023
A vigil was held last night in the memory of ice hockey player Adam Johnson who died after a serious incident during a match.
The Nottingham Panthers player suffered the injury during the fixture against Sheffield Steelers last Saturday.
The 29-year-old was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Fans and mourners came together at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham to pay tribute to Johnson.
Fans gathered in front of the arena and hold a minutes silence at 8pm, as well-wishers continued to leave flowers and tributes to the centre player.
A book of condolences has been opened at Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena, the home ground for Nottingham Panthers, for people to leave their own tribute and messages to the family and friends of Adam, who was a popular figure in the team's line-up.
Other ice hockey teams around the UK paid tributes to Adam, with the Bristol Pitbulls - who have their first game since the tragedy aiming to pay tribute to Adam during the 47th minute of the match - a tribute to the 47 jersey he used to wear.
The moves come as the Elite Ice Hockey League ruled that neck guards will not be made mandatory in the wake of the death of the star player.
The official governing body for the sport, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) announced it would make the protective gear compulsory for players. However, the Elite League falls outside of EIHA's remit.
Instead, the Elite Ice Hockey League will "strongly encourage" players and officials to wear the neck guards in the wake of Adam's death.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Elite Ice Hockey League paid tribute to the centre player, saying: "We are devastated by the loss of Adam's life, and our thoughts remain with his family, team mates and everyone else affected during this difficult time."