On Friday, the inquest into the death of an ice hockey player who suffered a fatal cut to his neck is scheduled to begin.

Adam Johnson, a player for the Nottingham Panthers, was injured on Saturday night from a skate that Sheffield Steelers player Matt Petgrave was wearing. He was later declared dead in the hospital.

Inquest into the death of the 29-year-old will begin at Sheffield’s Medico-Legal Centre.

His passing was called a “freak accident” by the Nottingham Panthers.

The investigation “is likely to take some time,” according to South Yorkshire Police, who stated that officers have been watching the incident footage.

The Panthers are inviting supporters to a memorial service at their stadium on Saturday.

The club announced that there will be a memorial service for the player at the Motorpoint Arena starting at 17:30 GMT.

At 20:20 GMT, there will be a two-minute moment of silence in honor of Johnson, a Loughborough Business School student.

Tuesday night, the club officially opened a fundraising page, “with the permission of Adam’s family.”

On Wednesday, a memorial ice hockey puck made in the player’s honor was unveiled.

The proceeds from the fundraising page and puck sales will go toward charitable endeavors in Johnson’s hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota.

He previously participated in 13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League of North America.

Following stints with the American Hockey League’s Ontario Reign and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Johnson joined the Swedish Hockey League for the 2020–21 season.

Prior to joining the Nottingham Panthers in August, he was a player for the Augsburger Panther in Germany.

neck protection
As far as BBC Sport is aware, Johnson was not donning a neck guard.

After Johnson’s passing, former player and Sky Sports analyst Nick Rothwell predicted more players would use neck guards.

“I think a lot of guys will wear one to honour Adam,” he stated.

“What can they do when they feel as though they have lost a brother?

“They can wear a neck guard and it is nothing to be ashamed of.”

The former Sheffield Steelers player from Canada expressed his belief that the most bitter rival teams in UK ice hockey could now unite.

“I think this will unite them in a way they never thought before,” he stated.