Adam Johnson’s UK team retires his jersey number after the American player’s skate-cut death

By KEN MAGUIRE
AP Sports Writer

NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — The English hockey team that American Adam Johnson played for has retired his No. 47 jersey as part of a memorial game in his honor. Nottingham Panthers players appeared to be wearing neck guards, too. The Panthers hadn’t played since their Oct. 28 game in which Johnson’s neck was cut by the skate of an opposing player. Saturday’s game was a low-intensity affair that ended in a 4-4 tie. The game doesn’t count in the standings. Instead, it was meant to bring players and fans together as they try to move forward. The death of Johnson, a 29-year-old former Pittsburgh Penguins player from Minnesota, forced the sport to reexamine safety regulations and sparked a criminal investigation that led to an arrest of a man on suspicion of manslaughter.