Nottingham Panthers create memorial jersey to honor Adam Johnson

The Nottingham Panthers of Britain’s Elite Ice Hockey League have created a memorial jersey to honour their teammate Adam Johnson.

Replicas of the “AJ47” memorial jersey are available to buy on the club’s online shop. They will also be available for purchase at the Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, the team’s home arena.

The jerseys will be priced at 47 British pounds, equivalent to about $58 USD or $78 CDN. All profits will be donated to the official GoFundMe page, the “Love for Hibbing and Hockey Memorial Fund,” set up by the team in Johnson’s memory,

The team would like to extend their immense gratitude to Rhino Sports and Ice Locker for their support in making the jerseys available to fans.

Johnson died on Oct. 28 from injuries sustained from a skate laceration while playing with the Panthers. The team trailed the Sheffield Steelers 2-1 at the time of the incident, with the game getting cancelled immediately.

Since his passing, various organizations have begun mandating the use of neck protection for players. The Penguins announced Tuesday that they’ll mandate neck protection for players on their AHL and ECHL clubs. Several NHL players have worn neck guards and other items since last weekend. The English Ice Hockey Association will make neck guards mandatory starting in 2024 during “all on-ice activities”.

The Pittsburgh Penguins gave a touching tribute to Johnson on Oct. 30 prior to their game vs. the Anaheim Ducks.

Johnson was in his first season with the Nottingham Panthers, scoring four goals and seven points in seven EIHL games. He spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins, scoring one goal and four points in 13 NHL games. He also had another 50 goals and 137 points in 257 games over five seasons in the AHL.

Johnson was 29 years old.