Victor Bjorkung talks about the tragic and fatal accident
Updated 16.25 | Published 16.22
Hockey player Adam Johnson died after an accident in Sheffield last Saturday.
Fellow Swede Viktor Bjorkung was on the ice.
– This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life. He says: I have cried rivers.
On Saturday evening in Sheffield and at the Utilita Arena, it’s a hockey party when rivals Sheffield and Nottingham meet in the Challenge Cup.
It’s crowded, and the game hangs in the balance in the second half when Viktor Bjorkung fires the ball down the left wing. In front of him is the team’s star and left striker, Adam Johnson. Victor finds Adam with a pass, but then the terrible thing happens.
What shouldn’t or shouldn’t happen.
The skate hits Johnson’s neck
In the event of a collision, the opponent’s skate rises into the air and the sharp rail collides with Adam Johnson’s neck.
The 29-year-old receives emergency care but later dies.
A born and raised hockey player in Stockholm, Viktor Bjorkung has had a solid career. He is the Norwegian champion and also won the under-16 gold medal with Djurgården. Victor has managed to reach the age of 30, and his hockey career has taken him all over Europe and given him many memories and adventures.
This season, he chose to continue his hockey journey in the hockey-mad English city of Nottingham. Just like American Adam Johnson. Together, Adam and Victor were expected to raise the Nottingham Panthers of Hockey.
– I was told right away that there is a big rivalry between Nottingham and Sheffield. Like the rivalry between AIK and Djurgården, Bjorkung says of last Saturday’s special match.
Björkung was only a few meters away from the accident and immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.
-I have so many gaps, it’s crazy. I was immediately shocked and chose not to watch the clip now in retrospect, but it told me that I was in the action and that I saw everything in real time.
– I connected the seriousness of the accident within one second when I saw the blood. Adam put the glove on the wound and I tried to look away, but I saw between my fingers how it rose and then collapsed again, Victor says in a thick voice.
He shouts:
-It’s the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. I lie sleepless and wake up terrified. Ordinary things in everyday life become difficult.
After the accident, while paramedics treated Adam, Victor and the other players formed a wall around their teammate.
– We stood as a human shield so that the public would not see anything. Children in the stands screamed, referees cried, and players hugged each other. I start burping when the memories come back.
It’s been three days now.
The Nottingham Panthers, the English Hockey League or the world of hockey will never be the same.
Right now, the focus is on the well-being of players as people. There is no focus on ice hockey.
We meet with a psychologist in a group and share our thoughts and feelings. There are also a lot of group activities so we don’t have to be alone as much. I don’t know how long the grieving process takes.
Some players and managers have returned home to spend time with their families and escape loneliness. There is no official information about what is happening in the hockey season in England.
– Our season is temporarily suspended and the plan is for it to be played in some way. Right now, playing ice hockey seems like a long way off, but when I do, I will play for Adam. He didn’t want us to quit because of him. We’re not going to rush anything, but once we’re on the ice, our fans and the hockey world will be behind us and we’ll be playing for it.
What was he like as a person?
-He was nice and sociable and we cooked dinner together several times. Our group was very tight. It’s like we’ve known each other for a long time, and I get images of a nice guy when I think of him.
In the aftermath of the incident, the opponent involved in the incident also had to endure hatred and attacks on social media.
Which prompted Björkung to respond forcefully.
– I’m trying to understand the situation and sent an SMS to Matt Pettgrave who was involved. He received an unparalleled storm against him. It feels like such unnecessary hatred. So low that it makes me nauseous. It’s not on the world map that anyone can do that with meaning.
– I wrote to Matt: “I want to check in so you are ok, it’s not easy to see the light in the tunnel. We’re here for you. No one on our team blames you. No one thinks it’s your fault. We’re here together. Don’t hesitate if you’d like to get in touch “.
1/2Photo: Jane J. Pushkar/AP