The world of sports recently mourned the loss of a popular Ice Hockey player, Adam Johnson. He was born and raised in Minnesota, where he began his journey in the sport. Johnson was a great player who performed at various stages of the sport before playing for multiple leagues across the world. In August 2023, he finally signed with the Elite Ice Hockey League which is based in the United Kingdom.
It was during a game with the Nottingham Panthers that Johnson faced his life-ending scenario. The Panthers battled against the Sheffield Steelers on October 28, 2023. This was when Johnson collided with Matt Petgrave, a member of the opposing team.
This is Matt Petgrave. The hockey player who maliciously killed Adam Johnson. Since the media refuses to show pictures of Matt or say his name, let’s make sure everyone knows#SayHisName pic.twitter.com/zKlAnKOqRA
— RumDiesOnB (@RumDiesOnB) November 14, 2023
Unfortunately, Petgrave’s skates cut Johnson in the neck. The latter tried skating his way back to the bench with his hands around his neck and blood splattered on the ice. By the time he was taken to the hospital, doctors pronounced him dead.
Man arrested under suspicion of manslaughter 17 days after Adam Johnson’s death
After 17 days after his death, the South Yorkshire Police authorities released a statement claiming they arrested a man under suspicion of manslaughter. The cops haven’t revealed the identity of the man. “Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy. And we have been carrying out extensive inquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” said Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall.
BREAKING: British police have arrested Matt Petgrave & charged him with manslaughter
He killed NHL player Adam Johnson on live TV with his skate. He received a standing ovation at a game last night.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) November 14, 2023
Fans suspect that Matt Petgrave was the individual arrested under suspicion of manslaughter. The hospital claimed they found an “incised wound” which caused Adam’s death. Petgrave has a reputation for being very unruly in the rink. He also has a history of suspensions due to various incidents. However, authorities have urged fans not to get into debates online and that they rather wait for official news.
The Panthers labeled Adam Johnson’s incident as a freak accident
The Panthers released a statement shortly after Adam Johnson’s death. They called the incident a “freak accident”, which sparked slight controversy. The statement read, “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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/lhSOkDu03Q
— The Nottingham Panthers (@PanthersIHC) October 29, 2023
Local authorities are currently pursuing an investigation as such cases require a thorough analysis of various instances that led to the ultimate result. This incident has sent shockwaves across the Ice Hockey community and to everybody across the world. Safety measures are expected to be taken to avoid further risks of potential death.