Hull ice hockey club the Seahawks are among more than 100 UK teams to receive a bleed control kit, following the tragic death of Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson on the ice.
After the incident in October, a sports therapist with The Raiders NIHL team mobilised “Adam’s Angels” with the aim of raising money for enough bleed control kits for all 106 of the UK’s Elite Ice Hockey League and British National League teams. Erin Rose partnered with Turtle, a company that developed the UK’s first bleed control cabinet, and the first batch of potentially life-saving kits have now been shipped to National League, NIHL South and North Division 1 and 2 teams.
Thank you messages have been pouring in for Adam’s Angels, with teams posting pictures with their kits, including players from Hull Seahawks. Packs will reach all the remaining teams before Christmas, with £5 for each kit going to the Daniel Baird Foundation.
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The charity was set up by the family of Daniel Baird, 26, who was fatally stabbed outside a pub in Birmingham following a night out with friends in 2017. There was no first-aid or bleeding control kit available and Daniel died shortly after arriving at hospital due to catastrophic bleeding.
Erin Rose said: “A couple of days after the sad news of Adam’s death, I was compelled to try and do something. The whole ice hockey community was deeply affected and having witnessed some serious cuts on the ice myself, now had to be the time to bring some peace of mind to players and their families.
“The response through the therapy directory I set up and a social media campaign was beyond overwhelming, and I was able to speak to Turtle within a week or so to place the order for 106 bleed control kits - one for each of the men’s and women’s National and Elite League teams within the UK. From there Adam’s Angels was born.
“On behalf of the 106 UK ice hockey teams that now have the kit which can control a catastrophic bleed and save someone’s life, I’d like to say a massive thank you to all of Adam’s Angels. Without them and their kind donations and sponsorship from the wider hockey community this wouldn’t have been possible. Now when the teams play their next matches, Adam and his team of Angels will be on the bench should an accident happen.”
Mike Dowson, founder and managing director of Turtle Defib Cabinets, said: “It’s astounding what has been achieved in such a short space of time since the very sad passing of Adam and the sponsors and donors really are angels.
“I was delighted Erin asked Turtle to help and we’re proud to be partnering with Adam’s Angels to help make ice hockey a safer sport to play with our Ambulance Service approved and registerable bleed control kits.
“It has been moving to see the first teams holding their packs and we hope the support for Adam’s Angels continues so even more teams can benefit beyond the 106.”
The support for Adam’s Angels has been so extensive that the fundraising target is on the way to supply all UK Junior teams with bleed control kits. People who wish to donate can do so on Erin Rose’s Adam’s Angels Just Giving page.
Nottingham Panthers forward Adam, 29, died after suffering a serious cut to his neck from a skate during a Challenge Cup match against the Sheffield Steelers. Police investigating the player’s death arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter.
