A coroner has offered her “sincere condolences” to the family and friends of Nottingham Panthers ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who died after sustaining a serious injury during a match watched by thousands.
The 29-year-old American was playing for the Panthers against Sheffield Steelers on Saturday when he was hit in the throat by an opponent’s skate, causing a fatal injury.
About 8,000 fans watched in horror as attempts were made to save Johnson’s life as he lay on the ice at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena, shielded by fellow players.
On Friday, Sheffield’s senior coroner Tanyka Rawden opened and adjourned an inquest into Johnson’s death at Sheffield’s Medico-Legal Centre.
Mrs Rawden confirmed personal details about the player, including that he was from Minnesota, in the United States, and gave very brief details of how he died.
She said that initial investigations had found that: “Mr Johnson was seriously injured.”
“He was taken by ambulance to the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield where he died later that day as a result of the injuries sustained.
“He was identified by his fiancee, Ryan Wolfe.”
She said inquiries into the death were continuing.
The coroner adjourned the inquest until January 26 but stressed that this would be for a review and not for the full hearing.
Mrs Rawden concluded the four-minute long hearing by saying she wanted to “take this opportunity to offer to his family, his friends and all those who knew him, my sincere condolences at this difficult time.”
Will Cuylle snapped a tie midway through the third period and the New York Rangers edged the Carolina Hurricanes, 2-1 for their sixth consecutive win on Thursday.
Chris Kreider had the other goal and Igor Shesterkin stopped 27 shots to give the Rangers eight wins in their first 10 games for the second time in franchise history. The 8-2-0 mark trails only a 9-1-0 record to open the 1983-84 season.
Seth Jarvis scored for the Hurricanes, who had a three-game winning streak stopped.
New York has won 10 of its last 14 regular-season games against Carolina and is 19-4-0 in the last 23 meetings at home.
Rangers forward Artemi Panarin assisted on Kreider’s goal to extend his season-opening point streak to 10 games with five goals and 11 assists.
New York’s Adam Fox left the game with a lower-body injury after the first period. He appeared to suffer the injury in a leg-on-leg collision with Carolina’s Sebastian Aho.
Bruins top Maple Leafs in shootout
Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle converted in the shootout and the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 to remain without a regulation loss.
DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha scored in regulation and Jeremy Swayman stopped 33 shots to help Boston improve to 9-0-1 and keep pace with Vegas as the only teams yet to fall in regulation.
Toronto’s William Nylander had an assist to extend his season-opening, franchise-record point streak to 10 games.
Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews had regulation goals for the Leafs, who are winless in their last three (0-1-2).
Golden Knights defeat Jets
The Vegas Golden Knights got a hat trick from Jonathan Marchessault and continued their blazing start with a 5-2 victory over the visiting Winnipeg Jets.
Ivan Barbashev and William Karlsson each had a goal and an assist to help Vegas improve to an NHL-best 10-0-1.
The Golden Knights are the 13th team in NHL history to record a season-opening point streak of at least 11 games.
Logan Thompson turned aside 29 of 31 shots and is 5-0-0 this season.
Nottingham Panthers will hold a gathering on Saturday night following the death of their player Adam Johnson last weekend.
The 29-year-old American was playing for the Panthers in a Challenge Cup match at rivals Sheffield Steelers last Saturday when he was reportedly hit in the throat by an opponent’s skate, causing a fatal injury.
South Yorkshire Police have since conducted inquiries at the arena, studied footage of the collision and spoken to experts, aided by Sheffield City Council’s health and safety team.
The Panthers, who in confirming Johnson’s death referred to the incident as a “freak accident”, have invited fans of all clubs to attend Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena to celebrate the former NHL player on November 4.
A statement from the Panthers on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: “The Nottingham Panthers will come together on Saturday evening to remember Adam Johnson.
“Supporters of all clubs and the general public are invited to attend the Motorpoint Arena from 5:30pm to pay tribute to our #47.
“The arena bowl will be open and people will be invited onto the ice, which will be carpeted, to sign books of condolence.”
The Panthers have also announced the creation of an official fundraising page to raise money for the ‘Love for Hibbing and Hockey Memorial Fund’ – established in Johnson’s memory.
The Panthers added: “The purpose of this fund is to support local charitable activities in Adam’s hometown area of Hibbing, Minnesota, as selected by the Johnson family.”
On Monday evening, the Elite League confirmed all games scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday would be postponed.
Following consultation with the eight teams and their players, a consensus was for games to resume at the weekend when “appropriate and fitting tributes” to Johnson will take place.
Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers, though, will not be involved in any games over the next round of fixtures.
The police inquiry into the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson during a match watched by thousands of fans “will take some time”, the investigating force has said.
The 29-year-old American was playing for Nottingham Panthers at rivals Sheffield Steelers on Saturday when he was reportedly hit in the throat by an opponent’s skate, causing a fatal injury.
About 8,000 fans watched in horror as attempts were made to save Johnson’s life as he lay on the ice, shielded by fellow players.
His team said it was a “freak accident” on Sunday when they confirmed that the popular Minnesota-born player had died.
Since then, South Yorkshire Police have carried out inquiries at the arena, studied footage of the collision and spoken to experts, aided by Sheffield City Council’s health and safety team.
The force said the investigation would be lengthy.
In a statement they said: “Since Saturday, detectives have been carrying out a range of inquiries including reviewing footage, talking to witnesses and seeking the advice and support of highly specialised experts to seek to understand the circumstances surrounding what happened.
“We have also been working closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our investigation.
“As with all unexpected and sudden deaths, it is standard practice for police to investigate the circumstances fully and feed back our findings to HM coroner.
“Our officers have now left the scene, however due to the complex nature of this tragic and unprecedented incident, it is likely the wider investigation will take some time.
“We continue to encourage the public to avoid speculation, including on social media, while we continue our inquiries and will provide updates when appropriate.
“Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of all those affected.”
The English Ice Hockey Association will make it mandatory to wear a neck guard during “all on-ice activities” from the start of 2024 in a change to regulations following the death of Nottingham Panthers player Adam Johnson.
The 29-year-old American was playing in a Challenge Cup match at the Sheffield Steelers when he reportedly suffered a slashed neck following a collision.
The Panthers described the incident as a “freak accident” when the club confirmed his death on Sunday, and police are investigating.
Under current rules, players in the UK do not have to play with neck guards once they turn 18.
The English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) is the sport’s governing body in England and Wales, with almost 400 teams at junior and senior level below the Elite League, who are yet to comment on whether or not they will make neck guards mandatory.
The EIHA says it will also conduct a thorough review of safety equipment in the next 12 months including, but not limited to, the use of helmets, mouthguards/gumshields and facial protection, and the application of International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) rules.
A statement from the governing body on Monday read: “The EIHA makes a ‘strong recommendation’ that all players at all levels across English ice hockey use an approved ice hockey neck guard/protector whilst participating in all on-ice activities.
“This ‘strong recommendation’ is in place until 31 December 2023, after which it will become a mandatory requirement.
“It is not mandatory with immediate effect due to anticipated supply issues. This will be under constant review between now and mandatory implementation.
“All protective equipment must be worn without alterations and as directed by the manufacturers’ specification.”
NIHL team Oxford City Stars, who have former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech on their roster, have announced their players must wear neck guards at all times on the ice.
Shane Moore, director of hockey operations, said safety must be a priority, adding: “A life has tragically been taken too soon in a freak accident, and if wearing neck guards can prevent another devastating loss, then we want to ensure we have done everything within our power to protect our players.”
Sheffield City Council’s health and safety team are also assisting the police as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the player’s fiancée Ryan Wolfe paid tribute on Instagram, saying: “My sweet angel, I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
Fans gathered at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena to pay tribute with flowers and cards.
Steelers fan Gary Hibbert was at the game and said: “I have come to pay my respects. It is heart-breaking.
“My kids absolutely love ice hockey and they have both been absolutely heart-broken after Saturday’s game, as we all are.”
Speaking of the incident in which Minnesota-born former NHL player Johnson was injured, he said: “My initial thought was he had a stick to the face, as it happens.
“Within two, three, four seconds we have seen the pool of blood.”
Mr Hibbert said Johnson had skated off for a moment after the collision before he collapsed and said he then shielded his son as best he could from the tragedy unfolding on the ice.
More tributes were left at Sheffield’s arena, with one card saying: “To a young man who came to Sheffield on a Saturday night to do his job and play for his team, left the arena fighting for his life, and didn’t return home with his team mates RIP Adam Johnson #47.”
Ontario Reign paid tribute to their former player before the club’s American Hockey League game against the Abbotsford Canucks on Sunday.
Johnson’s name was announced to the crowd as his number 49 jersey was placed on a chair in the middle of the ice by former Nottingham player Jacob Doty.
Every Ontario player touched the jersey in a moving gesture.
Police are investigating the “freak accident” which killed ice hockey player Adam Johnson.
Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup match at the Sheffield Steelers when he reportedly suffered a slashed neck following a collision.
The crowd of 8,000 spectators watched in horror as desperate attempts were made to save the American’s life.
The Nottingham Panthers described the incident as a “freak accident” when the club confirmed his death on Sunday.
A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “We were called at 8.25pm on Saturday 28 October to reports that a player had been seriously injured during a Sheffield Steelers versus Nottingham Panthers game at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.
“Officers attended the scene alongside other emergency services and one man, aged in his 20s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
“Sadly, he was later pronounced deceased at hospital.
“Our officers remain at the scene carrying out inquiries and our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing.
“We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our inquiries.”
Sheffield City Council’s health and safety team was assisting the police.
Meanwhile, the player’s fiancee Ryan Wolfe paid tribute on Instagram, saying: “My sweet angel, I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
NIHL team Oxford City Stars, who have former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech on their roster, have announced their players must wear neck guards at all times on the ice.
Shane Moore, director of hockey operations, said safety must be a priority, adding: “A life has tragically been taken too soon in a freak accident, and if wearing neck guards can prevent another devastating loss, then we want to ensure we have done everything within our power to protect our players.”
Fans gathered at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena to pay tribute with flowers and cards.
Steelers fan Gary Hibbert was at the game and said: “I have come to pay my respects. It is heart-breaking.
“My kids absolutely love ice hockey and they have both been absolutely heart-broken after Saturday’s game, as we all are.”
Speaking of the incident in which Minnesota-born former NHL player Johnson was injured, he said: “My initial thought was he had a stick to the face, as it happens.
“Within two, three, four seconds we have seen the pool of blood.”
Mr Hibbert said Johnson had skated off for a moment after the collision before he collapsed and said he then shielded his son as best he could from the tragedy unfolding on the ice.
More tributes were left at Sheffield’s area, with one card saying: “To a young man who came to Sheffield on a Saturday night to do his job and play for his team, left the arena fighting for his life, and didn’t return home with his team mates RIP Adam Johnson #47.”
Ontario Reign paid tribute to their former player before the club’s American Hockey League game against the Abbotsford Canucks on Sunday.
Johnson’s name was announced to the crowd as his number 49 jersey was placed on a chair in the middle of the ice by former Nottingham player Jacob Doty.
Every Ontario player touched the jersey in a moving gesture.
Ice hockey player Adam Johnson has died after a “freak accident” during Nottingham Panthers’ Challenge Cup match with Sheffield Steelers on Saturday night.
The 29-year-old American reportedly suffered a slashed neck during the second period of the game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.
Nottingham Panthers said on Sunday morning: “The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night.
“The Panthers would like to send our thoughts and condolences to Adam’s family, his partner, and all his friends at this extremely difficult time.
“Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam’s passing.
“Our thoughts are also with the fans and staff of both clubs, especially those who attended or were following the game, who will be devastated following today’s news.
“The Panthers would like to thank everyone who rushed to support Adam last night in the most testing of circumstances.
“Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great teammate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him. The club will dearly miss him and will never ever forget him.
“We ask that the privacy of Adam’s family and friends, and everyone at the club is respected at this difficult time as we all seek to come to terms with our grief.”
Minnesota-born Johnson played for Pittsburg Penguins in the National Hockey League before spending the 2020-21 season in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks.
Johnson went on to play in Canada for the Ontario Reign and in Germany for the Augsburger Panther before agreeing to join Nottingham for the 2023-24 campaign.
Sunday’s three Elite League games in Belfast, Fife and Guildford have been postponed following Johnson’s death.
“The Elite Ice Hockey League is heartbroken to confirm that Nottingham Panthers forward Adam Johnson sadly passed away following a freak accident in Saturday’s game between Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers,” read a league statement.
“In light of this deeply upsetting news, the Elite League has postponed all games scheduled to take place on Sunday October 29, 2023.
“The thoughts and condolences of everyone connected with the EIHL are with Adam’s family, friends and teammates at this incredibly sad and difficult time.”
Sheffield said in their own statement: “Everyone at the Steelers send their condolences to Adam Johnson’s partner, family & teammates.”
Reilly Smith scored twice in the first period and Tristan Jarry made 31 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins ended the Colorado Avalanche’s NHL-record 15-game road winning streak, 4-0 on Thursday.
Colorado, which opened this season with six straight wins, hadn’t lost away from Denver during the regular season since a 7-3 defeat to Dallas on March 4.
Lars Eller and Sidney Crosby also scored to help the Penguins snap a three-game losing streak.
Colorado goalie Alexander Georgiev had his personal road winning streak stopped at 12, leaving him in a tie for the longest road win streak by a goalie in NHL history, set by Eddie Johnston with Boston in 1971.
Ducks rally to beat Bruins in OT
Mason MacTavish scored with 2:52 left in overtime and the Anaheim Ducks rallied for a 4-3 victory, sending the Boston Bruins to their first loss of the season.
Anaheim forced overtime with two late goals, the first by rookie Leo Carlsson with 1:55 left in regulation and Troy Terry’s tally with 14.7 seconds remaining in the third period.
David Pastrnak scored one goal and set up another, while Charlie McAvoy had three assists for the Bruins, who opened the season with six consecutive wins for the second time in franchise history.
Tampa Bay's Johansson blanks winless Sharks
Jonas Johansson turned away 23 saves for his second straight shutout and the Tampa Bay Lightning rolled to a 6-0 rout of the winless San Jose Sharks.
Johansson stopped 32 shots in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Carolina and is 3-0-1 with a 1.72 goals-against average in his last four starts.
Steven Stamkos had a goal with an assist for the Lightning, who have points in four straight (3-0-1) following a three-game skid.
San Jose is winless in 13 consecutive games (0-11-2) since a 7-2 win at Arizona last April 1.
Jake Allen made 36 saves and the Montreal Canadiens scored twice in the third period to earn a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
Brendan Gallagher recorded the tie-breaking goal and Tanner Pearson scored on the power play in the third period to help the Canadiens to a second straight win and third in four games. Both also had an assist.
Gallagher gave Montreal a 2-1 lead by poking a loose puck past Buffalo goaltender Eric Comrie 3:31 into the third period, and Pearson made it a two-goal advantage with 3:07 remaining with his third tally in four games.
Justin Barron put the Canadiens ahead 2:56 into the contest, but the Sabres drew even on Jeff Skinner's power-play goal with 7:13 elapsed in the first period.
Allen was impenetrable from there, however, making 17 saves in the second period and 13 more in the third.
Comrie finished with 24 saves for Buffalo, which finished 2-2-0 on a four-game home-stand.
Alex DeBrincat recorded his fifth career hat trick to lead the surging Detroit Red Wings to a 6-2 rout of the Calgary Flames on Sunday for their fifth consecutive win.
DeBrincat scored in all three periods to continue a hot start to his Red Wings tenure. Acquired from the Ottawa Senators in the offseason, the 2020-21 All-Star now has a league-leading eight goals - all of which have come in Detroit's three home games this season.
Dylan Larkin added a goal and an assist for Detroit, which also received goals from Joe Veleno and Jake Walman. Lucas Raymond assisted on all three DeBrincat goals, while Justin Holl also finished with three helpers to support 29 saves from James Reimer.
Andrew Mangiapane and Yegor Sharangovich had goals for Calgary, which finished 1-3-1 on a five-game road trip. Dan Vladar stopped just 24 of 30 shots in defeat.
Poitras' first two NHL goals help Bruins move to 5-0-0
Matthew Poitras scored the first two goals of his NHL career in the third period as the Boston Bruins rallied for a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks to remain undefeated for the young season.
Brad Marchand added an empty-net goal and Linus Ullmark made 30 saves to help the Bruins move to 5-0-0.
After a scoreless first two periods, Mason McTavish got Anaheim on the board first when he knocked in a rebound 5:05 into the third.
Poitras, playing in his fifth NHL game, tied it just 1:24 later before putting Boston in front midway through the period by beating John Gibson after collecting a rebound of teammate Jake DeBrusk's shot.
Gibson finished with 23 saves in the Ducks' third straight loss.
Auston Matthews notched his second straight hat trick to open the season and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Minnesota Wild 7-4 on Saturday.
Matthews became the fifth player in NHL history to start a season with consecutive hat tricks, joining Alex Ovechkin (2017-18), Cy Denneny (1917-18), Joe Malone (1917-18) and Reg Noble (1917-18).
William Nylander added two goals and an assist for Toronto, which has scored 12 goals in winning its first two games of the season.
Jenner’s 3 goals help Vincent earn first win
Boone Jenner registered his second career hat trick to give Pascal Vincent his first coaching victory with a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers.
Jenner’s first goal of the game forged a 1-1 tie, and his second with 2:15 left in the opening period put the Blue Jackets on top for good.
He completed his natural hat trick with 7 ½ minutes remaining in the second period for a 3-1 lead.
Elvis Merzlikins made 24 saves before leaving with flu-like symptoms after the second period. He was replaced by Spencer Martin, who stopped 15 of 17 shots in the third in his Columbus debut.
Golden Knights beat Ducks to stay perfect
Chandler Stephenson, Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel each had a goal and an assist as the Vegas Golden Knights continued their unbeaten start with another 4-1 victory, this one over the Anaheim Ducks.
Jonas Rondjberg had the other goal and Adin Hill stopped 22 shots to help defending champion Vegas begin a season with three straight wins for the second straight year.
The Golden Knights’ three wins have all come by 4-1 scores.
Mason McTavish had the lone goal as Anaheim lost in Greg Cronin’s coaching debut.
Sidney Crosby scored twice on the power play in the second period and Tristan Jarry stopped 20 shots as the Pittsburgh Penguins earned their first win of the season with a 4-0 victory over the Washington Capitals on Friday.
Evgeni Malkin had a goal and three assists and Reilly Smith also scored to help the Penguins rebound from Tuesday’s season-opening loss to Chicago.
Washington lost its debut under new coach Spencer Carbery and was shut out for the first time in 49 season openers.
Backup Charlie Lindgren made 31 saves in place of Darcy Kuemper, who was away while his wife gave birth to the couple’s first child.
Coyotes edge Devils in shootout
Karel Vejmelka was perfect in the shootout and the Arizona Coyotes recovered after giving up a two-goal lead in a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils.
Nick Bjugstad and Nick Schmaltz scored in the shootout and Vejmelka turned away attempts by Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt to give Arizona a win in its season opener.
Bratt had two goals and an assist in regulation, and Dougie Hamilton scored one goal and set up another for New Jersey, which was coming off a 4-3 win over Detroit in its season opener.
Chris Kreider scored two goals and the New York Rangers rolled to a 5-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Peter Laviolette’s debut as coach.
Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist and Igor Shesterkin stopped 23 shots for his 100th career victory, becoming the first Rangers goalie to reach 100 wins in fewer than 187 appearances.
JJ Peterka had the lone goal for the Sabres, who came out flat in what they hope will be the season where they end an NHL-worst 12-season playoff drought.
Kreider’s power-play goal in the first period extended New York’s lead to 2-0 and he tallied short-handed midway through the third to make it 4-1.
Wild’s Gustavsson turns aside 41 in shutout
Filip Gustavsson stopped 41 shots and Brock Faber scored his first NHL goal to lead the Minnesota Wild to a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Joel Eriksson Ek assisted on Faber’s goal and scored on the power play in the second period.
Minnesota improved to 9-1-1 in season openers at Xcel Energy Center and 11-2-3 at home against the Panthers.
Golden Knights beat Sharks for 2-0 start
Nicolas Hague and Nicolas Roy scored late in the second period and Logan Thompson made 22 as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the San Jose Sharks, 4-1.
After Michael Amadio and San Jose’s Filip Zadina traded first-period goals, defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas took control late in the second.
Hague snapped the tie with 1:29 left in the period and Roy extended the lead 53 seconds later.
Brayden Pachal tallied his first NHL goal early in the third for the Knights, who haven’t trailed in winning their first two games.
Brock Boeser became the first Vancouver Canuck to score four goals in nearly two decades as part of an 8-1 season-opening rout of the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.
J.T. Miller had a goal and four assists, Elias Pettersson added a goal and three assists and Quinn Hughes set up three scores for Vancouver.
Boeser’s first goal of the game midway through the opening period gave the Canucks a 2-0 lead. He scored twice 3 ½ minutes apart in the second period and tallied his fourth of the night at 5:43 of the third.
The last Canucks player to score four goals was Daniel Sedin against Detroit on Feb. 24, 2004.
Bedard scores first NHL goal but Bruins win
Connor Bedard scored his first NHL goal, but David Pastrnak snapped a second-period tie to lift the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Trent Frederic also scored and Pastrnak added an empty-net goal to give the Bruins a win in their season opener a year after setting NHL records for wins and points.
Reigning Vezina Trophy-winner Linus Ullmark stopped 20 shots and counterpart Arvid Soderblom made 32 saves for Chicago, which opened its season with a win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Bedard, who had an assist in his NHL debut, scored at 5:37 of the first period on a wraparound.
Matthews has trick in Maple Leafs’ shootout win
Auston Matthews completed a hat trick with two late goals and Mitch Marner had the lone tally in the shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs rallied for a season-opening 6-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens.
Toronto fell behind 2-0 and 5-3 but Matthews scored the 300th, 301st and 302nd goals of his career for his eighth hat trick.
John Tavares had three assists, setting up power-play goals by Matthews and William Nylander in the second period before drawing another on Matthews’ second tally with 4:32 left in regulation.
Matthews netted the equaliser with 67 seconds left in the third period.
Alex Newhook scored twice in his Canadiens debut.
Connor Bedard notched a point in his NHL debut and the Chicago Blackhawks scored three times in the third period to rally for a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
The 18-year-old Bedard – the top pick in the 2023 draft - assisted on Ryan Donato’s goal late in the second period to cut Chicago’s deficit to 2-1.
Bedard registered five of the Blackhawks’ 35 shots and dazzled occasionally with his skating.
His arrival in the NHL has been anticipated for years, much like Sidney Crosby’s when the Penguins made him the first overall selection in 2005, all of 13 days after Bedard was born.
Cole Guttman netted the tying goal midway through the third period and Jason Dickinson snapped the tie with 4:33 remaining.
Petr Mrazek gave up goals to Bryan Rust and Crosby but finished with 38 saves against the Penguins, the league’s oldest team.
Golden Knights raise banner, beat Kraken
Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault scored in the first period and Adin Hill made 27 saves as the Vegas Golden Knights began defense of their Stanley Cup title with a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken.
Ivan Barbashev and Jack Eichel also tallied for Vegas, which raised its championship banner in a lavish pregame ceremony.
Jared McCann provided Seattle’s lone goal in the second period.
Paul leads Lightning past Predators
Nicholas Paul scored a pair of third-period power-play goals and Jonas Johansson stopped 28 shots to win his Lightning debut as Tampa Bay opened the season with a 5-3 win over the Nashville Predators.
Brandon Hagel scored on a penalty shot, Nikita Kucherov added a pair of goals and Brayden Point had three assists for the Lightning.
With five-time All-Star Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to miss another six weeks after back surgery, Johansson has been thrust into a starting role.
He gave up Tommy Novak’s tying goal 8:48 into the third period, but Paul scored just over two minutes later and Kucherov’s empty-net goal closed the scoring.
Ryan O’Reilly and Juuso Parssinen also scored as Nashville lost in Andrew Brunette’s debut as coach.
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