Trent McCleary, who cheated death during an ice hockey match in 2000, has opened up about the trauma of learning Adam Johnson had been killed on the ice – and why he refuses to watch footage of the fatal incident.
The sport is in mourning following the ‘freak accident’ that killed Nottingham Panthers player Johnson in England on Saturday.
The 29-year-old died in front of 8,000 shocked fans after his throat was slit by the knife of an opponent, Sheffield Steelers’ Matt Petgrave.
McCleary played for the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens before his career was ended in 2000, when he was shot in the throat. He couldn’t breathe and fell unconscious before being rushed to hospital.
Nearly a quarter century later, McCleary had flashbacks after news of Johnson’s death.
Ice hockey is in mourning after the ‘freak accident’ that killed Adam Johnson
Trent McCleary was unable to breathe after being punched in the throat during a match in 2000
‘Absolute. I am human,” he told the New York Post. ‘I absolutely feel for his family, for his friends. It’s a terrible accident.’
McCleary chose not to watch clips of the fatal crash. “I’ve never seen the video, and I don’t want to,” he explained.
“But I can only imagine because I saw Clint Malarchuk’s video. I saw Richard Zednik’s video. It’s something you don’t really need to see.’
Malarchuk, the former Buffalo Sabers goaltender, survived having his neck cut by a knife in 1989. He suffered from OCD, depression, addiction, anxiety and even a suicide attempt after a similar incident with Zednik in 2008.
Johnson was seen seconds before the bizarre incident, when his throat was slit by a player’s knife
Richard Zednik (center) suffered a similar injury during an NHL game in 2008
The NHL now “strongly recommends” the use of neck guards, but has not yet made them mandatory. McCleary, who suffered a fractured larynx and a collapsed lung, had to survive on a liquid diet for six weeks.
He would encourage players to wear extra protection, but understands why players don’t want to use a neck protector. His son, who plays in the WHL, chooses not to.
“You could have Kevlar from wrist to high neck to ankles, and everyone should absolutely have a neck gaiter,” McCleary said.
“But making sure everyone wears it consistently would be a problem. People just don’t want that. They don’t feel like they have to do that until you see a result like Adam Johnson’s.”