A Nottingham Panthers player who was on the ice when Adam Johnson’s throat was fatally slashed in a collision has opened up on the death of his friend and team-mate.
Victor Bjorkung was part of the side fielded by the Panthers during their match against Sheffield Steelers in October, which saw Johnson injured in the fracas after a skate slashed his neck.
The tragic accident – which was witnessed by around 8,000 fans at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena – sent shockwaves through the ice hockey community, with Johnson passing away in hospital.
Bjorkung had passed to Johnson before the tragedy unfolded, with a man arrested over the manslaughter of the star recently re-bailed.
The Swede, speaking to BBC Sport, has now opened up on the ordeal, and the struggles he continues to face on the back of what happened.
Victor Bjorkung (right) has opened up on the flashbacks he has suffered following Adam Johnson’s death
Johnson, who was playing for Nottingham Panthers against Sheffield Steelers, died in hospital in October last year after getting cut with an ice skate
Fans left hundreds of tributes to the 29-year-old outside of Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, with a tribute match held in November
‘I do remember most of it,’ he said. ‘Everything happened so fast, and obviously I was on the ice when it happened.
‘It still feels unreal. I think about it every day, more or less. I do get a lot of flashbacks, and they’re not very pleasant.’
‘When we saw the injury and we saw what happened, we all knew that it was bad,’ Bjorkung said.
‘We wanted to protect him but also everyone else from seeing what was going on on the ice. He was in a very vulnerable situation at the time. All of us as players, we were vulnerable too, but you have to take your own ego aside and think what is best for the people around you.
‘A lot of the trauma I’ve been dealing with and all my team-mates I’ve been speaking to after I left, it’s not easy.’
Bjorkung told the Panthers he would not be returning to the club following the incident and has since returned to his native Sweden.
A tribute match was held in Johnson’s honour in November following his passing.
A man, meanwhile, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in November and then bailed by South Yorkshire Police.
A force spokeswoman said after he was again bailed last month: ‘A man who is under investigation following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson in Sheffield has been re-bailed.
A man who is under investigation for the death of the 29-year-old has recently been re-bailed
A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman has aid that the investigation into the incident is continuing
‘Adam, aged 29, was fatally injured during a game between the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers on 28 October last year.
‘He was sadly later pronounced dead in hospital, and a post mortem confirmed he died as a result of a neck injury.
‘A man was arrested on 14 November last year on suspicion of manslaughter and later bailed. He has been further re-bailed until Tuesday 14 May 2024.
‘Our thoughts remain with Adam’s loved ones as our investigation continues.’
