Nottingham Panthers Honor Adam Johnson In First Game Since His Death, Retire His Number

The Elite Ice Hockey League's Nottingham Panthers took the ice on Friday for the first time since the death of forward Adam Johnson during a game late last month.

According to Sportsnet, the Panthers hosted the Manchester Storm at Norringham's Motorpoint Arena. The game — which was streamed on YouTube for free — did not count for points in the EIHL standings, but was intended to serve as a memorial and a way to bring fans and players together.

Both teams wore special jerseys honoring Johnson.

Samuel Tremblay of the Manchester Storm and Mathieu Lemay of the Nottingham Panthers during the exhibition game held in honor of Adam Johnson. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

The 29-year-old was killed in a collision with Sheffield Steelers defenseman Matt Petgrave whose skate blade slashed the ex-NHLer's neck. Since then, police have been investigating and temporarily arrested an unnamed man on suspicion of manslaughter.

The incident and its aftermath have received widespread attention and reopened the dialogue about whether or not hockey players need to wear neck protection. Several players on the Nottingham Panthers roster could be seen wearing some form of neck protection on the ice.

Nottingham Panthers Retire Johnson's No. 47

“He will forever be our No. 47,” the Panther's public address announcer Stef Litchfield said before the game. The team made sure of this by retiring Johnson's number.

“He was not only an outstanding hockey player but also a great teammate," Litchfield said. "He was an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him. We will miss him dearly.”

Speaking of which, during the 47th minute of the game, the crowd gave a standing ovation

The game ended in a 4-4 tie. The Panthers' first regular season game following the incident will take place on November 26.

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