NHL players, coaches remember Adam Johnson: 'A great kid, a great player'

The tragic death of former NHLer Adam Johnson over the weekend has sent ripples across the hockey world.

The 29-year-old Johnson died after a skate accidentally cut him in the throat during a game in England.

Johnson, a Minnesota native, had plenty of connections to the NHL through the NCAA, AHL and his 13 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Some players and coaches took time on Monday to share stories and memories of Johnson.

"It's an incredible tragedy. He was a great kid," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said Monday. "It was a privilege to be his coach... I remember his first game and his first goal in Minnesota. He was a great kid, a great player. And boy, he could really skate."

Sidney Crosby said he also was struck by Johnson's speed when the two were teammates and said it was special to be part of Johnson's first NHL goal, which he scored in his home state against the Wild.

"He was just a great guy, a great teammate. He had an awesome attitude while he was here," Crosby said. "The way he skated, there's some guys that when you get out there with them they can just flat out fly and he was one of them."

Johnson was with the Penguins during the 2020 bubble playoffs in Toronto, where he got the chance to form stronger relationships with his teammates as they lived isolated from the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pierre-Olivier Joseph was one of those teammates, and on Monday Joseph shared some memories about Johnson from their time in the NHL and AHL.

"Adam was such a joyful person. I remember playing a lot of tennis with him in the bubble, and let me tell you, he was a good player," Joseph said. "I think just the way he carried himself, just a happy person in general — we’re sure going to miss him.

"Every time we go to the rink down there (in the AHL) you've got to be happy to be with the guys... he's a good jokester and likes to bring smiles around the room... Every memory I have of him are pretty good ones."

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey called Johnson's death an "unfathomable tragedy," adding that it was especially so because it happened while playing a game he loved.

"We all play the game of hockey because we love it and when something like that happens it's bigger than anything else," Morrissey said. "It's a tragedy to have him lost at such a young age and playing the game that he loves, it's awful."

Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said the tragic circumstances of Johnson's death are "hard to believe" and that he believes incidents such as this one could lead to changes in how players protect themselves during games.

"Obviously very difficult to see and fathom," Tavares said. "One incident like that is too many."