Who is Davey Johnson? Ice hockey star Adam Johnson’s father watched son’s game live when tragedy struck, aunt reveals
DULUTH, MINNESOTA: The father of ice hockey star Adam Johnson who died from a freak accident in Britain was watching the match online 4,000 miles away in Minnesota, his aunt revealed.
Johnson, 29, was playing for Nottingham Panthers against Sheffield Steelers when his throat was accidentally cut by an opponent’s skate blade as they collided on the ice on Saturday night, October 28, 2023.
‘We saw it happen. It was horrific': Adam Johnson's aunt reveals
His aunt Kari Johnson said she and Johnson’s father Davey Johnson, who is her brother, were both watching online as tragedy unfolded at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
Adam Johnson tallies his first NHL goal to double the Penguins lead!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/NCJxW7zFHA
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 13, 2019
"We saw it happen. It was horrific. It was, it was. I cannot even describe it because nobody should have to live through what we saw," Kari told KSTP-TV.
"The skate cut right through Adam’s windpipe, and it cut his carotid artery. And, at one point, they had lost him in the ambulance and they brought him back," she said.
"...he didn’t make it through surgery once they got him to the hospital. They just couldn’t get the bleeding to stop. He lost way too much blood, Kari continued.
She added, "It was tough to see and it was tough knowing it was your boy and you know it’s bad. You know, my nephew, not my son, but my boy. He’s my boy. Just seeing it was traumatic."
Adam Johnson tallies his first NHL goal to double the Penguins lead!#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/NCJxW7zFHA
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 13, 2019
Adam Johnson had bought an engagement ring to propose to his girlfriend but he never got the chance
She said Adam had bought an engagement ring to propose to his girlfriend Ryan Woolfe, who had recently moved to England from the US to be with him.
The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night. pic.twitter.com/lhSOkDu03Q
— The Nottingham Panthers (@PanthersIHC) October 29, 2023
"We were all really excited because we were really looking forward to their future. And he didn’t get a chance to ask her and then this happened," she said.
"He hadn't [proposed] yet because he wanted to do something big and special," she said.
She said Adam would try to master a skill such as playing guitar or tennis before moving on to something else when he was growing up.
He "wanted to be the best at whatever it was he was doing" and would compete with his older brother Ryan.
Adam Johnson was generous and didn't want the fanfare
She added, "They were my boys and each one of them had a piece of my heart."
She also told how he "just wanted to be good but he didn’t want all the fanfare that goes with it" and said he would be generous to friends even early on in his career when he was not earning big wages.
"He wanted to treat his friends all the time. If one of them didn't have a job or something, Adam would buy steaks for everybody so they could grill them,"