Penguins, Ducks honor Johnson with pregame ceremony

Following the tragic death of Adam Johnson on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks honored Johnson before their game on Monday with a ceremony and moment of silence.

The teams also wore special decals on their helmets.

On Sunday, one of his former teams paid tribute to the late forward after their game.

In a postgame ceremony, the Ontario Reign (AHL affiliate for the LA Kings) named Johnson first star following their win over the Abbotsford Canucks.

After Johnson was announced as first star, Reign forward Jacob Doty skated out to center ice and neatly placed Johnson’s No. 49 jersey on a stool, while teammates followed him out onto the ice to honor their former teammate. Johnson played two seasons for the Reign from 2020-2022 and also played two seasons in the NHL, suiting up for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2018 and 2019.

The 29-year-old died as a result of what his Elite Ice Hockey League team in England called a "freak accident" on the ice during a game. According to reports, Johnson collided with another player during the game and suffered a cut to the neck from a skate.