Adam Johnson’s fiancée Ryan Wolfe shares heartbreaking video & tribute after comforting sports star during last moments
ADAM Johnson’s fiancée has shared a heartbreaking video of the ice hockey star – after she comforted him in his final moments.
The Nottingham Panthers forward, 29, died after suffering a gash to his throat during a game against Sheffield Steelers on Saturday.
Johnson appeared to collide with Steelers player Matt Petgrave, immediately collapsing to the floor before receiving urgent medical treatment.
His fiancée Ryan Wolfe was in attendance at the game and rushed onto the ice to be with her partner as players formed a protective ring to provide privacy.
But in a statement released on Sunday morning, the Panthers confirmed he had tragically passed away in hospital.
Ms Wolfe today shared a video of her partner scoring for his former NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins.
It shows a smiling Adam being mobbed by joyous teammates after scoring his first goal in the NHL.
She captioned the video with three heartbreak emojis as friends passed on their condolences.
Earlier, Ryan took to Instagram to share a picture of the ice hockey player.
She said: “My sweet, sweet angel. I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
The couple are understood to have become engaged over the summer and lived together in England.
Thousands of fans were in attendance at the Elite Ice Hockey League game on Saturday, but were sent home due to the “major medical emergency”.
As news emerged of his death, supporters gathered at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham to lay a sea of flowers and poignant tribute messages.
Those who had seen the incident described it as “one in a million” and told how the player was “absolutely distraught”.
Former teammates and friends have also paid tribute to Johnson as an “absolutely magical” player who was loved by those he shared the ice with.
Riley Tufte, who played with US-born Johnson in college, told The Athletic: “Just horrifying and tragic and so, so sad. I can’t tell you how loved this guy was and just how proud he was to play at UMD (University of Maryland).”
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin added: “He could skate. He could really skate. He was a beautiful skater.
“Just a good, nice kid. Like, so nice. He wasn’t the most talkative kid, but you knew he loved the sport.
“His teammates all loved him, and we wanted guys like Adam in our system.”
Panthers fan Hazel Woods, who witnessed the tragedy, said: “What happened was horrible and I can’t get the image out of my head.
“It is like a bad dream I can’t wake up from.”
She added: “It was a freak accident, totally tragic, and no one was to blame.”
A Panthers club statement said: “The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night.
“The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner, and all his friends at this extremely difficult time.
“Everyone at the club including players, staff, management, and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.
“Our thoughts are also with the fans and staff of both clubs, especially those who attended or were following the game, who will be devastated following today’s news.”
South Yorkshire Police has confirmed it has launched a probe into the “circumstances surrounding the incident”.
The club said it will provide an update on future fixtures.