Adam Johnson

Adam Robert Johnson (June 22, 1994 – October 28, 2023) was an American professional ice hockey forward. He played 13 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons. He also played in Europe with the Malmö Redhawks, Augsburger Panther and Nottingham Panthers. Johnson died in 2023 after after an on-ice collision resulted in a cut to his neck from a skate.
==Early life ==
Johnson was born June 22, 1994, in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, to Susan and Davey Johnson. After graduating from high school, he played junior hockey in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Indiana Ice and Sioux City Musketeers, and was named a USHL All-Star in 2015. Undrafted, he played two seasons of collegiate hockey with the University of Minnesota Duluth in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC).
Following his sophomore season with the Bulldogs in 2016–17, where he scored 18 goals and tallied 37 points in 42 games and finished second on the club in both goals and points, Johnson clinched Minnesota-Duluth's berth in the 2017 Frozen Four when he scored an overtime, power-play goal to defeat Boston University, 3–2. Johnson and the Bulldogs eventually fell to the University of Denver, 3–2, in the NCAA championship game.
Johnson attended the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect development camp before opting to conclude his collegiate career early, agreeing to a two-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins on July 6, 2017.
==Playing career ==
Johnson was the second-leading scorer for American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the 2017–18 season and made his National Hockey League debut on March 21, 2019 in a 2–1 win at the Nashville Predators. He played 13 total NHL games and scored one goal in a 7–4 win at the Minnesota Wild in his home state on October 12, 2019.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the North American season, Johnson opted to sign a contract abroad for the 2020–21 season with Malmö Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on December 15, 2020. Appearing with the Redhawks in a top-six forward role, Johnson added seven goals and 12 points through 21 regular season games before opting to break his contract and return to North America on March 27, 2020.
On April 6, 2021, Johnson signed as a free agent for the remainder of the 2020–21 season with the Ontario Reign of the AHL, the primary affiliate to the Los Angeles Kings. Adding an offensive presence, Johnson posted 11 points in 14 games.
Remaining with the Reign into the following 2021–22 season, Johnson registered one goal and six points through 28 regular season games before he was traded to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in exchange for future considerations on February 17, 2022.
As a free agent in the following off-season, Johnson opted to resume his European career, signing a one-year deal with German club, Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), on September 12, 2022. In the 2022–23 season, Johnson posted seven goals and 22 points through 45 regular season games, however was unable to help prevent the Panthers finish in a relegation position. Johnson left the club at the conclusion of his contract on March 17, 2023.
In August 2023, Johnson agreed to terms to join the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) for the 2023–24 season.
===Death===
Johnson was fatally injured in a game against the Sheffield Steelers at Utilita Arena on October 28, 2023, after an on-ice collision resulted in a cut to his neck from a skate. He was sent to Northern General Hospital in Sheffield, where he was pronounced dead at the age of 29.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2009–10 	Hibbing High School 	HS-MN 		24 	8 	15 	23 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Hibbing High School 	HS-MN 		25 	34 	36 	70 	8 		3 	4 	6 	10 	0
2011–12 	Hibbing High School 	HS-MN 		20 	24 	28 	52 	14 		3 	4 	3 	7 	6
2012–13 	Hibbing High School 	HS-MN 		24 	16 	27 	43 	70 		2 	4 	0 	4 	0
2012–13 	Indiana Ice 	USHL 		6 	0 	2 	2 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2013–14 	Sioux City Musketeers 	USHL 		56 	15 	31 	46 	25 		8 	4 	3 	7 	6
2014–15 	Sioux City Musketeers 	USHL 		59 	31 	40 	71 	24 		5 	1 	2 	3 	2
2015–16 	Universtiy of Minnesota-Duluth	NCHC 		39 	6 	12 	18 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	University of Minnesota-Duluth	NCHC 		42 	18 	19 	37 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		70 	11 	20 	31 	16 		3 	1 	0 	1 	0
2018–19 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		6 	0 	2 	2 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		67 	18 	25 	43 	27 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		7 	1 	1 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		48 	10 	24 	34 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Malmö Redhawks 	SHL 		21 	7 	5 	12 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Ontario Reign 	AHL 		14 	6 	5 	11 	6 		1 	0 	1 	1 	0
2021–22 	Ontario Reign 	AHL 		28 	1 	5 	6 	18 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Lehigh Valley Phantoms 	AHL 		30 	4 	8 	12 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2022–23 	Augsburger Panther 	DEL 		45 	7 	15 	22 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2023–24 	Nottingham Panthers 	EIHL 		7 	4 	3 	7 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		13 	1 	3 	4 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
Source: Eliteprospects
==Awards and honors==
Award 	Year	Ref
USHL 	USHL	USHL
First All-Star Team	2015	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:1994 births
Category:2023 deaths
Category:American men's ice hockey centers
Category:Augsburger Panther players
Category:Ice hockey players who died while playing
Category:Indiana Ice players
Category:Lehigh Valley Phantoms players
Category:Malmö Redhawks players
Category:Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey players
Category:Nottingham Panthers players
Category:Ontario Reign (AHL) players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Sioux City Musketeers players
Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players