The fiancée of late hockey player Adam Johnson shared an emotional tribute a month after his death.
The Nottingham Panthers player died aged 29 in a freak on-ice accident on October 28, when an opponent’s skate caught him in the neck during a match against the Sheffield Steelers.
Around 8,000 fans witnessed the tragic incident at the Nutita Arena in Sheffield. A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.
Nearly a month after his tragic death, his fiancée Ryan Wolfe posted a series of photos and videos of the attacker.
“Grateful for our memories and life together,” Wolfe wrote on Thanksgiving as she kissed her late partner’s cheek.
The fiancée of late hockey player Adam Johnson shared an emotional tribute following his death
Ryan Wolfe (left) shared a series of photos and videos of the fallen Nottingham Panthers player
She wrote a tribute to Johnson on Thanksgiving, saying she was grateful for their memories
“I wish we could have had more, honey. I miss you so much every day, I love you Adam.”
In the second photo in the carousel, Johnson sang along to Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night” while riding.
In the other photos, Johnson is pictured with his arm wrapped around Wolfe with a love sign lit up in the background and in one photo the couple is seen looking up in love as she kisses the late sports star on the cheek. Meanwhile, in another, he is seen holding a baby in his arms.
In one clip, Johnson is captured skimming over rocks as the sun sets, while another clip shows him writing the couple’s initials in a heart in the sand.
Wolfe also shared solo photos of Johnson, including one of him holding a puck in a Pittsburgh Penguins t-shirt — his former NHL team.
The last slide shows Wolfe wearing her engagement ring.
Wolfe, found an engagement ring that he planned to use to propose, family friends have heartbreakingly revealed.
“His grandmother told me that he showed her (Johnson’s grandmother) the ring before he left and that he was going to propose at some point,” said Scott Pionk, whose son played college hockey with Johnson, told USA Today.
Johnson, 29, died after an opponent’s skate severed his neck during a match in October
The carousel of photos shared on Instagram included one of Johnson holding a baby
The final slide in the post showed Wolfe wearing an engagement ring. Family friends revealed that she had found the ring he planned to use to propose to her
Wolfe and Johnson had been dating for over a year and it is claimed he bought the ring before they moved to England for his ice hockey career.
She gave an emotional eulogy at Johnson’s memorial service in Minnesota earlier this month – calling him her ‘everything.’
“You have been so incredibly supportive and kind to me since the day we met,” she said, alongside her sister.
“And I couldn’t have been more grateful for it. I always thought that if I was lucky, after a life together, I might become more like you.
‘You are such a special person, you have the best sense of humor, the biggest heart, the quickest wit and the kindest soul. You are incredibly loyal, dedicated and smart. You are so, so smart.
‘Whether it’s school or life in general, you seem to have it all figured out, which gave me so much peace and comfort, and made me feel like we could do anything, or be anything, and all be well would come. . We would be happy.’
A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and released on bail.
After the collision, Johnson was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead.
Wolfe also included a few solo photos of Johnson, including one of him at the Grand Canyon
Another showed him holding a puck in a Pittsburgh Penguins t-shirt – his former NHL team
Wolfe delivered a eulogy at his memorial, saying the fallen hockey player was her “everything.”
A post-mortem examination revealed that he had died as a result of a fatal neck injury.
The Panthers will play their first Elite League match since Johnson’s death against Belfast Giants at the Motorpoint Arena on Sunday.
The Panthers held a memorial game in Johnson’s honor at Motorpoint Arena on November 18, marking the first time the team took the ice since his death.
Nottingham faced Manchester Storm, but did not count towards either team’s Elite Ice Hockey League matches. The match eventually ended 4-4.
A tribute to Johnson was held before the match and the 10,000 spectators in the venue stood to applaud in the 47th minute, a nod to Johnson’s number.
The crowd chanted Johnson’s name and clapped as both teams formed a circle around the center line. The players then hit the ice with their sticks.
A large sign above the rink proclaimed Johnson “Forever Our 47.”
Johnson’s Nottingham Panthers teammates paid tribute ahead of a memorial match
Thousands gathered at the Motorpoint Arena to remember Johnson after his tragic death
Flowers, cards and jerseys were left outside the venue as emotions ran high before the game
The Panthers revealed they will retire their number 47 jersey out of respect for Johnson, with the news announced in a post on the club’s official social media pages.
“We are honored to announce that we are retiring Adam Johnson’s #47 jersey,” they wrote. ‘Forever our 47.’
A Panthers teammate of Johnson’s, Victor Bjorkung, who was on the ice at the time of the fatal collision, left the team weeks after describing the incident as “the most traumatizing thing he has ever experienced.”
The team announced Bjorkung’s departure on Monday, stating that the player himself had informed the club that he would not return.