It’s the replay no one wishes to watch again.
Former Pittsburgh Penguin Adam Johnson was on attack for the Nottingham Panthers during the second period against the Sheffield Steelers on October 28. One of Johnson’s teammates collided with opponent Matt Petgrave right in front of him, sending Petgrave into an awkward somersault spin that ultimately ended with his left skate slicing Johnson’s neck. An unnamed “suspect” was arrested today by South Yorkshire Police on “suspicion of manslaughter.” The police stated the suspect remains in custody.
The injury was instantly obvious, and the 29-year-old was immediately transported to a local hospital where he passed away. It was the sport of hockey at its ugliest, and the tragedy reminded Wheeling Nailers Head Coach Derek Army just how lucky he was when he played the game.
“After the accident, my wife (Jennifer) finally told me an injury like that has always been one of her biggest fears when I was still playing,” Army explained. “She never said it to me, and I’m glad she didn’t, but it was on her mind. She watched with that fear, and she lived with it all those years.
“It was something I didn’t realize because, as a player, you don’t play while thinking about injuries. I knew what I signed up for, and I’m a religious guy so I always said my prayers,” the head coach said. “But when a tragedy like that happens, you can’t help but think about it.”
Johnson played for the Pittsburgh Penguins during parts of two seasons (2019 and 2020) and had played in Sweden and Germany before joining the Nottingham roster this year. The Penguins paid tribute to Johnson before their game against the Ducks on October 30, and the Nailers conducted a moment of silence for him before their home opener on November 4.
Kyle Dubas, the first-year general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins, issued an organization-wide mandate on October 31 for all minor-league players in the AHL and ECHL to wear neck and wrist guards. Army, who played eight professional seasons before he was named the Nailers’ interim head coach during the second half of the 2020-21 season, has encouraged his players to comply.
“Listen, I don’t want to call anyone’s parent and have to tell them something like that happened to their son on my watch when I could have done something about it. I have to protect our players and that’s why I have talked with them, and I’ve encouraged them to protect themselves,” he said. “It’s easier than ever, too.
“Our players know exactly what happened to one of their own,” he said. “They know what’s possible, especially now.”
A Tragic Connection
The Nailers enter this evening’s home matchup against Idaho with a 4-2 record following last night’s 5-2 defeat to the Steelheads. The puck drops at 7:10 p.m. inside Wesbanco Arena, and the Nailers once again will be more protected than ever before.
“I’ve heard absolutely no pushback from any of the players about the mandate that came from the top,” said DJ Abisalih, the “Voice of the Nailers” and the organization’s media manager. “When we first started talking about it, most of them said immediately that they wanted to wear (the guards), and then it was unanimous a few days later.
“There were some players who were affected more than others, and when our own Jarrett Lee wore No. 47 in honor of Adam Johnson, it really hit home in our locker room. Jarrett knew Adam, so our team had that personal connection to the tragedy, and that meant something to these guys,” he said. “The fact it happened to a friend, I think, made our guys want to protect themselves even more.”
Dubas’s mandate does not cover the current Penguins roster, and Army doubts very seriously the NHL is considering any forced changes, and one reason why the neck and wrist guards are not more popular these days is because the equipment only now is becoming for comfortable for players to wear.
“What I’ve seen since the tragedy is that players who have the chance to wear the neck and wrist guards are wearing the neck and wrist guards because now they are more like a turtleneck and not like a neck brace,” Army explained. “When I was coming up playing professional hockey, the neck guards that were available were awkward like a neck brace, and they didn’t allow for much range of motion. That’s why no one wore them.
“I don’t know if the ECHL will mandate the neck guards, but I know our organization has and that’s why the Wheeling Nailers are wearing them. Pittsburgh (general manager) Kyle Dubas sent out an organization-wide email, and I’m fine with it. We’re lucky here in Wheeling because our owners jumped and got our players the protection they need so a tragedy like that doesn’t take place with our guys,” the head coach said. “It’s team by team. For us, we’re fortunate because our organization wants to do this the right way.”
Not until August 1979 did then-NHL President John Ziegler announce protective helmets would become mandatory for all players for incoming players, and in 1988, the league made the same gear obligatory for its officials.
Are the neck and wrist guards next?
“I seriously doubt making the neck guards mandatory in the NHL is something that will fly because the players are used to what they’re used to, but I bet you’ll start seeing a lot more of them now,” said Army, who signed a three-year extension in May. “What happened to Adam Johnson was a freak accident, but it’s an accident no one wants to happen to them no matter how long they’ve been playing to this point. We wear a lot of stuff to avoid injuries, so I think it’ll be included now.
“Even wearing the neck guards we have now is an adjustment a player has to make,” he said. “But that tragedy hit a lot of players and made us all realize what’s really possible when you’re on the ice.”
But in the Army household?
“I’ve already had wrist guards made for my (two-and-a-half-year-old) son, Boone,” the head coach said matter-of-factly. “No doubt about that. He’s not skating with anyone right now, so the neck guard isn’t necessary yet, but when it is, it’ll be there every time.
“You have to learn from tragedy,” Army added. “Especially when life is on the line.”
