Nottingham arena boss on 'traumatic' night Adam Johnson died as he prepares to welcome player's family to city

For the 8,000 fans who saw the tragedy unfold in Sheffield, for the wider ice hockey community and for the family and friends of Adam Johnson - October 28, 2023, is a night they will never forget. That was the night when communities in Nottingham, Sheffield and in Adam's home state of Minnesota were rocked by the news of the Nottingham Panthers player's tragic death.

The 35th minute of a Panthers away game against the Sheffield Steelers saw Adam's throat being fatally cut by the skate of another player. Spectators were immediately asked to leave the arena and Adam was transferred to Sheffield's Northern General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

News of the death was withheld from the general public whilst Adam's family were told about the horror that had unfolded on the ice. One of those who found out on the evening itself was Martin Ingham, the CEO of the Motorpoint Arena that has been home to the Panthers since 2000.

In a wider-ranging interview with Nottinghamshire Live, Mr Ingham reflected on an evening that has proved to be unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. It comes as Nottingham prepares to welcome Adam Johnson's family to the city on December 14, when the Motorpoint Arena will host the player's jersey retirement ceremony.

Talking about the night in question, Mr Ingham said: "The events of the evening itself were pretty traumatic. I was at home, I think it was the Rugby World Cup final night actually.

"I got a phone call to say there's been a serious incident in Sheffield, the game's been cancelled, and it wasn't quite clear at that stage that there'd been an injury. You think okay, well somebody's been badly hurt.

"It could be a broken leg, a serious concussion or something. Then it became clear that there was a very serious injury so I drove in.

"It was just numbing really, because we were sat in my office and hoping. We'd heard that he had been hurt on the ice and then he was in surgery, so obviously he was in surgery which meant he was still alive, so there was still hope.

"Then we heard that he hadn't made it and so the players are coming back, we're outside here on Lower Parliament Street and the players are coming off the coach absolutely distraught.

"We actually had an event on that night in the arena, a late night dance event with all these people having a great time 10 yards away. It was a really difficult emotional time because we were still managing an event in here where people were having a great time and yet you've got this team who've just suffered the most appalling experience and just lost one of their teammates."

South Yorkshire Police arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter in November 2023 in connection with Adam Johnson's death. The force recently confirmed that the man has been re-bailed until January 20, 2025, whilst investigations continue.

Governing bodies including English Ice Hockey and the International Ice Hockey Federation announced in the wake of Adam's death that neck guards would be mandatory during games. Nottinghamshire Live's 'Do it for Adam' campaign calls on the Elite League, which is not governed by English Ice Hockey, to also enforce the mandatory wearing of neck guards.

Aside from the important legal proceedings and the crucial calls for enhanced safety for ice hockey players, the immediate focus following Adam's death was on mourning the loss of a young man who was reportedly planning to propose to the girlfriend who had moved with him to England.

Speaking about managing the tributes pouring in, Mr Ingham said: "We set up the place for everyone to come and lay flowers and obviously there was a whole avalanche of flowers arrived. Then of course the Panthers came to us and said 'we want to have a memorial'.

"We do events, but usually there's a show that's coming in and we facilitate an event, but with this one we had to almost build it from scratch with the Panthers. I think we had 3,000 people who came in on the Saturday night.

"That's one of those moments that will stay with me for the rest of my career, being in there at that time." The remainder of the 2023/24 Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) season saw the Panthers failing to make playoffs that could have seen them declared British champions for the first time in the EIHL era.

Yet speaking about the atmosphere amongst Panthers fan during that time, Mr Ingham said: "What was remarkable about the rest of that season is although the Panthers had a terrible run, one of the worst losing streaks in Panther history, none of the fans threw it back at them.

"Everybody was just incredibly supportive and and we had that bizarre situation where towards the end of the season, Panthers were bottom of the league, we're in danger of not qualifying for the playoffs, hardly winning a game, and yet the crowds were going up.

"I mean, in the history of sport, that just doesn't happen does it? I think the Panthers fans do have to take an incredible amount of credit for the way that they just got behind the players and felt that from an emotional support perspective, the players needed them.

"In a way that last game was glorious failure. The atmosphere in here was absolutely bouncing and that's what sport does. Not everybody can win and if you're not going to win, then leave people with a memory."

Doors for Adam's jersey retirement ceremony will open at 5.30pm before the event gets underway at 6.30pm. There are less than 1,500 tickets left for the event, about which the Nottingham Panthers say: "This will be a very special occasion as we come together to remember Adam and his contribution not just for ice hockey across the world, but who he was as a person and the positive impact he had on so many people he met."