A Nottingham Panthers player who was on the ice when Adam Johnson suffered a fatal throat slit in a collision has opened up about his friend and teammate's death.
Victor Bjorkun was playing for the Panthers in a game against the Sheffield Steelers in October, during which Johnson was cut in the neck with a skate and injured.
The tragic accident, witnessed by around 8,000 fans at Sheffield's Utilita Arena, shocked the ice hockey world, and Johnson died in hospital.
Mr Bjorkun was handed over to Mr Johnson before the tragedy, and the man arrested on suspicion of the star's manslaughter was recently re-released on bail.
The Swedish player opened up to BBC Sport about the ordeal and the struggle he continues to face behind the scenes.
Victor Bjorkun (right) spoke about flashbacks he suffered after Adam Johnson's death
Johnson, who was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers, died in hospital last October after sustaining a cut from an ice skate.
Fans left hundreds of tributes to the 29-year-old outside Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena, and a memorial match was held in November.
“I remember most of it,” he said. “Everything happened so quickly that I was obviously on the ice when it happened.
“It still feels unreal. I think about it more or less every day. I have a lot of flashbacks and it's not very fun.”
“When we saw the injury and saw what happened, we all knew this was terrible,” Bjorkun said.
“We wanted to protect him, but we also didn't want other people to see what was going on on the ice. He was in a very vulnerable position at the time, and so were all of us as players. , I was in a vulnerable position, but I have to put my ego aside and think about what's best for the people around me.
“It's not easy talking about all the trauma I've dealt with and all the teammates I've talked to since leaving.”
Bjorkun informed the Panthers that he would not return to the club following the incident and has since returned to his native Sweden.
After Johnson's death, a memorial game was held in his honor in November.
Meanwhile, a man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in November and released on bail by South Yorkshire Police.
After being re-released on bail last month, a force spokesperson said: “A man being investigated in the death of hockey player Adam Johnson in Sheffield has been re-released on bail.”
A man under investigation in the death of a 29-year-old boy was recently re-released on bail.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said the investigation into the incident was continuing.
Adam, 29, suffered the fatal injury during a match between Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers on October 28 last year.
“Sadly, he was later pronounced dead at the hospital and a post-mortem examination confirmed that he died from injuries to his neck.
“The man was arrested on November 14 last year on suspicion of manslaughter and subsequently released on bail. He has been re-released on bail until Tuesday, May 14, 2024.
“Our thoughts are with Adam's loved ones as our investigation continues.”
