“Never know when it’s too late,” Adam Johnson’s ex-teammate Joe Veleno pays EMOTIONAL tribute to forward following his tragic demise

Joe Veleno, a former teammate of Adam Johnson has paid an emotional tribute to him while he returned to Sweden to take part in the NHL Global Series.

“Never know when it’s too late,” Adam Johnson’s ex-teammate Joe Veleno pays EMOTIONAL tribute to forward following his tragic demise

Joe Veleno (L) and Adam Johnson (R) [Pic Credit: AP/Sky Sports]

The National League Hockey (NHL) world is still trying to move on from the tragic demise of Adam Johnson. The former Pittsburgh Penguins forward was involved in a “freak accident” with Matt Petgrave that cost his life. Johnson’s ex-teammate and current Detroit Red Wings star Joe Veleno has now remembered him and paid an emotional tribute.

Johnson died in October when his throat got slit by the skates of Petgrave. As a result of this action, he would drop a huge amount of blood on the ice field during an Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) game between Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers. Veleno served as a teammate of Johnson during their time together in Sweden.

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During their time in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), they too would spend some time with the Malmo Redhawks. The NHL recently played some games in Sweden as a part of their Global Series event with Veleno back in the Scandinavian country with the Red Wings.

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As he returned to the field, he would soon start to remember the days of him and Johnson. The forward later admitted that he regrets not having made more contact with the late player.

Joe Veleno on the death of Adam Johnson through The Hockey Feed: 

I regret that we didn’t take the opportunity to have more contact (with Johnson) after the time in Malmö, because this shows that you never know when it’s too late.

Nottingham Panthers pay tribute to Adam Johnson in special memorial game

The untimely death of Adam Johnson brought out several shocked reactions from the world. The player would unfortunately lose his life while doing what he loved the most, playing hockey. The Nottingham Panthers on this weekend paid their tributes to Johnson through a special memorial game in his honor against the Manchester Storm.

This was the first game they had played since the demise of Johnson. At a sold-out home crowd, the fans and the team created a spine-tingling moment as they paid their respects to the 29-year-old.

Adam Johnson
Adam Johnson (Pic Credit: Imago)

As the players entered the field, the fans would start chanting his name and applauding him. Both sets of players would join them while forming a circle and banging their sticks on the ice field. A huge banner of No. 47, his shirt number was unveiled in the stands from the home supporters. The main scoreboard above the rink would display a photo of him with the words, “Forever our 47.”

The game would eventually end in a 4-4 draw. A minute round of applause was also observed at the 47th minute of the game as the fans remembered their fallen hero. The Panthers have also announced that they will retire the No.47 jersey in his memory. The Panthers will now resume their regular season on November 26 when they face the Belfast Giants.

Since his death, the EIHL has made the usage of neck guards mandatory. The NHL on the other hand is also said to be discussing implementing this rule in the near future.

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