Manslaughter arrest after death of US ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by skate blade during UK game
- Police did not name the suspect; Matt Petgrave was the player on the opposing team involved in what Johnson’s team called a ‘freak accident’
- The grisly incident has reverberated around the hockey community and led to moments of silence in the NHL
Police in England arrested a man on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game.
Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers on October 28 when he was struck by an opponent’s skate blade in the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.
South Yorkshire Police did not name the suspect or provide his age. He was in police custody.
Matt Petgrave, 31, who plays for Sheffield, was the other player involved in the grisly incident that reverberated around the hockey community and led to moments of silence in the NHL.
Video of the incident shows Johnson skating with the puck toward the Steelers net. Petgrave skates toward Johnson and collides with another Panthers player. Petgrave’s left skate kicks up as he begins to fall and the blade hits Johnson in the neck.
