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Who is Victor Bjorkung? Teammate who passed puck to Adam Johnson describes 'terrible' tragedy when he was fatally slashed

Victor Bjorkung described the experience as 'the most traumatizing thing in his entire life' and 'terrible'
UPDATED NOV 3, 2023
Victor Bjorkung described the horrible tragedy when his teammate Adam Johnson was slashed by the skate (Michael Bjorkung/Instagram, Facebook/DriffieldWoldsWeekly)
Victor Bjorkung described the horrible tragedy when his teammate Adam Johnson was slashed by the skate (Michael Bjorkung/Instagram, Facebook/DriffieldWoldsWeekly)

LONDON, ENGLAND: Victor Bjorkung, a Swedish defenseman and Adam Johnson's teammate who played for the Nottingham Panthers described the 'horrible' tragedy when Johnson was fatally slashed on the rink on October 28.

Adam Johnson, who formerly played for Pittsburgh Penguins, died after his neck was slashed by an opponent Matt Petrgave's skate on Saturday, October 28, during the England Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL).

Victor Bjorkung was the last to pass the puck to Adam Johnson

Bjorkung was on the rink at the time of the tragic incident and he passed the puck to Johnson before his throat was slashed with the opponent's skate.

Nottingham Panthers
Victor Bjorkung was on the rink at the time of the tragic incident and he passed the puck to Adam Johnson before his throat was slashed (Nottingham Panthers)

He described the experience as “the most traumatizing thing in his entire life” and “terrible” in an interview with Expressen, a Swedish outlet.

Bjorkung said he has tried to suppress a lot of memories from that day and he has been meeting with psychologists and a trauma team along with his teammates.

He also said he has a lot of memory gaps, but he remembers playing the puck up to Johnson on the left wing and then seeing him collapse.

“One moment you have your friend there, the next second he’s gone,” he said.

Adam Johnson’s death has shocked the hockey world

Johnson’s death has shocked the hockey world and sparked an investigation by the South Yorkshire Police.

The Nottingham Panthers (X)
Johnson’s death has shocked the hockey world and sparked an investigation by the South Yorkshire Police. (The Nottingham Panthers/X)

His aunt, Kari Johnson, told South West News Service that she believes the actions of Sheffield Steelers defenseman Matt Petgrave, who cut Johnson’s neck with his skate, were “very reckless” and “unnecessary.”

She earlier told a news outlet that she and her brother, Davey Johnson (Johnsons' father) were watching the game live when Johnson was slashed with the skate. 

Kari told KSTP-TV, "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."

Family says Adam Johnson's death was not an accident as many people believe 

She said the family is “looking for justice for Adam” and that they have watched the video of the incident hundreds of times.

“That’s not a hockey play, that’s not a check. I understand that every team has an enforcer, per se, on their team… but he took our boy,” she said.



 

Many people on the internet have rallied behind the family stating that this was not an accident, however, some are defending it, saying it wasn't intentional. 

Johnson’s girlfriend, Ryan Wolfe, also posted a tribute on Instagram, calling him “my sweet sweet angel” and saying she will miss him forever and love him always.

 Adam Johnson and Ryan Wolfe (ryanwolfe17/X)
Adam Johnson’s girlfriend, Ryan Wolfe, also posted a tribute on Instagram, calling him 'my sweet sweet angel'  (ryanwolfe17/X)

The Nottingham Panthers also revealed a memorial jersey on Wednesday, November 1, remembering Adam Johnson.

They wrote, "Following the sad passing of our #47, Adam Johnson, The Nottingham Panthers have created a memorial jersey to honour our friend and teammate."



 

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