Former NHL star Adam Johnson, 29, dead after cut to neck by skate

Former NHL star Adam Johnson died Saturday during a game in a British hockey league.

The Minnesota native was 29.

Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League in a game against the Sheffield Steelers on Saturday night when he suffered a cut to the neck from a skate, the BBC reported.

The Panthers said in a statement that Johnson “has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night.”

“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,” the club wrote.

“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,” the statement continued. “Everyone at the club including players, staff, management, and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.”

The Panthers tweeted Saturday that the Challenge Cup game was “stopped” for a “bad injury” and players returned to the locker rooms. Fans were later asked to leave the building “due to a major medical emergency.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.