Man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in Adam Johnson’s death

A man was taken into custody on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the tragic passing of former NHL player Adam Johnson, as confirmed by the South Yorkshire (England) Police on Tuesday.

The arrest follows a two-week investigation into the incident that resulted in Johnson’s untimely death on October 28. At the time, Johnson was an active player for the Nottingham Panthers in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) when a collision during a Champions Cup game in Sheffield, England, against the Sheffield Steelers resulted in his throat being cut by a skate blade. Johnson was 29 years old.

According to a statement by the South Yorkshire Police, a postmortem examination revealed that Johnson succumbed to a fatal neck injury. The identity of the arrested man has not been disclosed as he remains in police custody.

“Our investigation commenced immediately following this tragedy, and we have been conducting comprehensive inquiries to unravel the events leading to Adam’s loss in these unprecedented circumstances,” commented South Yorkshire Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall. “We have been consulting with highly specialized experts and collaborating closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council to support our ongoing investigation.”

The player responsible for the collision that resulted in Johnson’s fatal injury is Matt Petgrave, 31, who is part of the Sheffield team.

Following Johnson’s passing, various leagues within the sport have commenced evaluating their player safety protocols, particularly pertaining to the use of neck protection devices.

Shortly after Johnson’s death, the English Ice Hockey Association announced that it would mandate the use of neck guards beginning in 2024 as part of a three-step plan.

While any regulations at the NHL level would require approval from the NHL Players’ Association, there have been instances of NHL players starting to wear neck guards during practices and games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, Johnson’s former NHL team, has stated that it will enforce the use of neck protection devices for its AHL and ECHL affiliates. Additionally, the Western Hockey League has followed suit, announcing that it would mandate neck protection devices for its players.