Chicago Blackhawks saddened by Adam Johnson’s death from a skate cut: ‘You get a pit in your stomach’

The hockey community has reacted with shock and sadness to the death of Adam Johnson, the 29-year-old former Pittsburgh Penguin whose neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England.

“It’s awful,” Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato said after practice Sunday at Mountain America Community Iceplex in Tempe, Ariz. “When you hear (the news), you get a pit in your stomach and you can only pray for their family and his friends.”

Johnson, who played in 13 games for the Penguins between 2018-19 and 2019-20, was playing for the Elite Ice Hockey League’s Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on Saturday when he was cut.

“It’s tragic,” defenseman Connor Murphy said. “It’s just so sad, and it’s like the worst nightmare of a possibility.”

Corey Perry said, “It’s tough news for his family and everybody involved.”

“Man, that’s awful,” Connor Bedard said. “Obviously (it’s) so sad for of course him and his family and everything. It’s hard to think about that. You’re thinking about him and his family, that’s a tragedy.

“The hockey community is so tight and such a small world. ... I don’t know him, a few guys in here know him, but you want to do what you can to support anyway.”

The Panthers called Johnson’s death a “freak accident,” one that particularly resonated with players.

Donato said, “It’s just a tragic situation that you never really think about and for good reason. And it’s just sad the way it happened.”

Murphy added, “You don’t have the words, and it’s hard to think about it even knowing it’s a possibility, but you just chalk it up to being such a fluke thing.

“But your heart spills out for his family, friends and everyone in the community.”

Johnson’s accident is reminiscent of past incidents that have involved players getting cut by skates.

Former Buffalo Sabres goalie Clint Malarchuk’s jugular vein was sliced by the skate of then-St. Louis Blues winger Steve Tuttle in Buffalo on March 22, 1989.

Florida Panthers forward Richard Zednik received a deep cut from a teammate’s skate on the right side of his neck during a game in Buffalo on Feb. 10, 2008.

Both Malarchuk and Zednik survived.

Hawks forward Jason Dickinson’s skate hit Boston Bruin Jakub Lauko’s eye during a game at the United Center on Tuesday.

Lauko later expressed gratitude he didn’t lose his left eye, but posted a picture of his blackened eye and stitches on social media and joked that his modeling career was over.

“The skate blade is like a weapon, honestly,” Murphy said. “It’s just the sharpness of it and how easily you can slice your skin.”

Murphy said a cut on his own wrist years ago wasn’t life-threatening, but he thinks about how it could’ve been worse.

Murphy could not remember the details, just that it was a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs about seven years ago.

“It didn’t go deep enough to get anything dangerous,” he said. He showed the faint scars on the inside of his left wrist. “I’ve seen teammates get cut pretty good but luckily nothing ended up being too severe.

“It’s an unfortunate part of our game having a dangerous piece of equipment that’s possible to cause severe damage and I just pray that nothing like that ever happens.”

Murphy said some players wear cut-proof wristbands and socks.

Still, players know the danger is present, so how do they compartmentalize it?

“You can’t. You can’t,” Donato said. “Obviously it happens, but not to that extent, that often. So for us to hear that, it’s something you really can’t wrap your head around.”

Perry said, “It’s just when you’re out there you’re not thinking about it. … But then you see that (happen with Johnson) and think that, yeah, things like this can happen.”

“It’s a freak accident,” Bedard added. “When we’re out there, you’re not thinking about it much, but just a freak play and really hoping” nothing bad happens.

Hawks coach Luke Richardson said the accident highlights the importance of the work Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie is doing through his company, Warroad, which makes athletic clothing that helps protect wrists and necks against skate cuts.

“He promotes a company with some great stuff for young players coming up to wear to protect themselves,” Richardson said.

“That’s one of the fastest games on Earth,” he said. “And when you have, like, razor blades in the bottom of your feet, sometimes you’re upended and skates come up like Dickinson’s (case). … It’s very scary and things happen quick.

“We just all support and send our thoughts and prayers to (Johnson’s) family and the (Panthers) team. But I don’t even know what the right answer is for protection.”