GRAND RAPIDS — The Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation is raising funds in memory of former University of Minnesota-Duluth and Hibbing hockey standout Adam Johnson.
The Love for Hibbing and Hockey Memorial Fund will support charitable activities in the Hibbing area as selected by the Johnson family.
Johnson, 29, died Saturday, Oct. 28, after an opponent's skate blade cut his neck during a game in Sheffield, England.
Johnson's Elite Ice Hockey League team the Nottingham Panthers is also raising money for the fund. As of Tuesday night, the club raised about $35,000 on GoFundMe.
The community is rallying around the Johnson family, many of whom live in Grand Rapids and Hibbing, in other ways, too. A meal train signup is fully booked and the site has raised another $23,000 in donations.
The Pittsburgh Penguins also honored Johnson on the ice before their game Monday night. He played for the Penguins in 2019.
The Star Tribune reports in the wake of Johnson's fatal injury on the ice, cut-resistant hockey gear is seeing a surge in interest.
The English Ice Hockey Association announced it will require neck guards beginning next year.