Ice hockey player whose skate cut teammate's throat swore at reporter after finding question disrespectful
The ice hockey player whose skate cut a teammate's throat back in 2008 swore at a reporter in response to their question.
Adam Johnson died at the weekend following a similar ‘freak accident’ during a game on 28 October.
The American played for Nottingham Panthers who faced Sheffield Steelers in a derby at the Utilita Arena.
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As more than 8,000 fans watched the ice hockey game, the 29-year-old player was slashed in the neck.
The game in Sheffield was paused in the 35th minute as medics rushed in to tend to Johnson as witnesses say players from both teams quickly formed a ring around him.
Spectators were quickly asked to leave the arena following the ‘major medical emergency’ and the Panthers star was rushed to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital but sadly died.
A statement from his team includes: “Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him.
"The club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.”
Unfortunately, this is very similar to the story of ice hockey player Richard Zednik.
The Czechoslovakian star narrowly avoided death but is known to have experienced one of the most gruesome injuries in the history of the sport.
Back in 2008, he was playing for the Florida Panthers when his teammate Olli Jokinen fell head-first onto the ice and his right leg flew up into the air.
Zednik skated straight into the danger and the skate’s blade struck him on the side of his neck, severing his carotid artery – just missing his jugular vein.
The player lost five pints of blood to the horror injury but was able to survive.
Reporters spoke to Jokinen, who was captain of the team, after the incident when one asked: “How scary was that for you?”
And, pretty understandably, the player was not impressed.
“What do you think?” he said. “What kind of f**king question is that?”
But the reporter continued: “I just wanted to know what your reaction was.”
Jokinen responded: “Well I think we all were in shock, everybody was in shock. Never seen anything like that, it’s tough to focus on hockey after that.”
Zednik underwent emergency surgery to repair the artery and remained in intensive care for around two days.
He left hospital on February 16, 2008, and missed the rest of the hockey season while recovering - but returned to play in the 2008–09 season.
Jess Battison