Tributes have been paid to ice hockey player Adam Johnson after his death following a freak accident while playing for the Nottingham Panthers.
The 29-year-old's throat was cut by the skate of Sheffield Steelers' Matt Petgrave after a collision with the player.
American-born Johnson, formerly in the NHL with Pittsburgh Penguins, received medical treatment as his team-mates formed a cordon around him, while his girlfriend Ryan Wolfe, who was watching in the stands, ran onto the ice.
Following the incident at Sheffield's Utilita Arena, the Panthers said in a statement: "We will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him. Adam, our No47, was not only an outstanding hockey player but also a great team-mate and an incredible person."
In a statement, the NHL said: "We mourn the passing of former Pittsburgh Penguin Adam Johnson. Our prayers and deepest condolences go to his family, friends and teammates."
His girlfriend posted a photograph of him on Instagram with the words "My sweet, sweet angel. I'll miss you forever and love you always."
Johnson's team-mates, along with supporters, laid flowers outside Nottingham's Motorpoint Arena yesterday, with the Elite Ice Hockey League postponing all matches scheduled for the remainder of the week.
The tragedy has led to calls for neck guards to become compulsory for all professional players. Currently in the UK, they are only mandatory for players under the age of 20. There have been two previous incidents in which players had their necks slashed in the NHL, but the players in question survived.
A GoFundMe page set up for his family had already raised £13,000 this morning.
In a statement, South Yorkshire Police said they were continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
