Johnson remembered as ‘great teammate’ by Penguins

PITTSBURGH — Adam Johnson may have only played 13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins over two seasons from 2018-19, but he certainly left an impression on them.

Johnson died at the age of 29 on Saturday in what the Nottingham Panthers, his Elite Ice Hockey League Team in England, called a “freak accident” during a game.

The Penguins held a morning skate at PPG Paints Arena on Monday, their first on-ice session since learning of Johnson’s death. Several former teammates, including captain Sidney Crosby, shared memories of Johnson, who was roundly described as jovial and kind.

“It’s something that we’ve all been thinking about since finding out. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” Crosby said. “He’s just a great guy, great teammate. An awesome attitude when he was here.

“Was just generally happy to be playing in the NHL. So it’s heartbreaking that that’s happened.”

According to reports, Johnson suffered a cut to the neck from a skate after colliding with another player.

The forward went undrafted after playing two seasons at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins on July 6, 2017.

“I don’t know if I have words to explain the whole circumstance. It’s just an incredible tragedy,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a terrific kid. It was a privilege to be his coach. I remember when he first came to our development camp, that was my first experience watching him play. I talked to his college coaches about him. We were recruiting him to be a Penguin.

“He was a great kid. He was a good player. Boy, could he really skate. As I said, it was a privilege to be his coach. There are no words I have to explain how I feel about it. It’s just an incredible tragedy.”

After signing with the Penguins, Johnson had 31 points (11 goals, 20 assists) in 70 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League in 2017-18.

Johnson then made his NHL debut March 21, 2019, playing 3:59 across seven shifts in a 2-1 win against the Nashville Predators. He had two assists in six games that season, his first of two with Pittsburgh.

After forward Alex Galchenyuk was placed on injured reserve, Johnson was recalled in a corresponding move from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Oct. 9, 2019.

Three days later, Johnson scored his first and only NHL goal in his return to his home state. Born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Johnson raced to a rebound in the left face-off circle off a shot from Sam Lafferty, sending a slap shot past an outstretched Devan Dubnyk in a 7-4 win at the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 12, 2019.