“Adam was described by those people as a great person, a fast skater, highly skilled with game-changing ability, a winner, but most importantly…” Omar Pacha has to stop talking to compose himself.
The CEO of Nottingham Panthers is paying an emotional, impassioned tribute to Adam Johnson, the former NHL player who lost his life in such horrific and tragic circumstances on the ice last year.
Pacha, his voice breaking, continues: “… a guy that team-mates would all love.”
Love was one of many emotions felt at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Saturday night. Sorrow, pain, pride, anger and grief were all never far away too.
On the face of it, this was a normal league fixture: the Panthers were playing at home and Fife Flyers were the visitors for a regulation Elite Ice Hockey League match.
Except that this, like so many of the Panthers’ matches in the past 14 months, was anything but normal.
More than an hour before the match started, the 6,000-capacity arena was almost full, with fans keen to pay their respects once more to Johnson, whose No 47 jersey was being retired during a special ceremony.
Minnesota-born Johnson, who was 29, died after a collision with Sheffield Steelers’ Matt Petgrave during a match at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena in October 2023, just a few months after moving to England.
It has been unimaginably difficult for Johnson’s team-mates, all the staff at the club and supporters to process what happened on the ice that night.
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And to put into perspective yet again what an incomprehensibly tragic and premature loss this was, Johnson’s family were in Nottingham on Saturday, having flown over from the United States.
His parents Sue and David, brother Ryan and fiancee Ryan Wolfe attended the ceremony, which was prefaced with an endless succession of happy pictures of a smiling Johnson with his friends and family shown on the big screen while music from the film Interstellar filled the arena.
His aunt Lynn DeGrio gave a speech in which she spoke of how grateful the family were for the support they had received from the Nottingham public.
“You have enveloped us with love, messages and prayers while we were in our darkest hours,” she said. “Adam was genuine. He was humble, modest, and down-to-earth and never boasted about his accomplishments.
“He lit up a room with his little smile and quick and witty comments. He loved to dream about what his future was going to look like, right down to the fine details.
“One thing he knew for sure is that it would include the love of his life, Ryan Wolfe. They spent hours planning the perfect life together.
“Adam loved being around his family and friends, he was non-judgemental about people — everyone was worth his time, especially those who were less fortunate than he was. Although Adam will be always greatly missed, his legacy will live on with your continued support.”
Panthers’ fans had welcomed Johnson’s family into the arena with an impromptu standing ovation.
Although this was billed as an uplifting celebration of his life, there were tears from onlookers, many of whom were wearing No 47 jerseys, as his number was lit up to officially retire the jersey.
Pacha told the crowd how Johnson, a former Pittsburgh Penguin, possessed all the traits he was looking for in a player and a man when he signed him last year.
“From the first minute he stepped onto the ice at Nottingham you could tell his speed and skill was elite,” Pacha said. “His hockey IQ was at another level and he made all the players around him better.
“After a few games, coaches and GMs (general managers) all across the league reached out and said we had the signing of the summer. Adam was a top player but he was an even better human being. His humble nature was something unique, especially for a player with such a high pedigree.
“Players who’ve played at the highest level can sometimes come with an ego, but Adam did not have this. (He was) a quiet, positive leader, a committed player that guys loved and a huge, calming presence in the locker room.
“After Adam left us, we all had our struggles, but to this day I cannot even imagine the feelings all of Adam’s friends and family here today felt and still feel.
“At the Panthers and across UK ice hockey and across the hockey world, Adam will never be forgotten. But here in Nottingham, he will be a part of the greatest to have impacted the club to the highest extent.”
Video tributes from former team-mates were played on the big screen during a poignant 30-minute service.
Speaking to Panthers’ fans at the arena, it was clear Johnson’s death has brought the Nottingham ice hockey community closer together, united in grief and by their shared trauma.
But there is resentment, too, at the lack of a resolution in the ongoing investigation.
This ceremony came just days after a crowdfunding account purporting to belong to Petgrave was launched to help him fight an allegation of manslaughter.
Petgrave, whose skate cut the neck of Johnson during the Challenge Cup match, was bailed by South Yorkshire Police after his initial arrest last November. He remains on bail until at least January 20 and an account on CrowdJustice, where people can appeal for money to fund legal action, states that Petgrave’s insurance cover has been halted and his UK visa has expired.
As Panthers’ fans come together once more to mourn the loss of their player, there are conflicting emotions around the arena, but the primary one is sadness.
“It’s been almost 15 months but it feels like a few weeks,” Panthers regular Laura says. “I think a lot of us were in shock for quite a long time. There is a real family feel here, people of all ages, kids, older people, men and women… it hit everyone hard and some people struggled to come back (to games) again.
“The circumstances of how it happened… it’s just absolutely tragic. Beyond words. To see his family here tonight, his poor fiancee, his parents. I cried for them.”
Panthers manager Danny Stewart called his players brave and courageous for putting on a professional performance. They won 6-0, for the record.
Life goes on in Nottingham, but they will never forget their No 47.
(Top photo: Panthers Images)
