Man arrested on ‘suspicion of manslaughter’ in relation to death of former NHL player Adam Johnson
Johnson, who died last month after being clipped by a skate blade while playing in the United Kingdom, spent part of the 2021-22 season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Police in South Yorkshire, England, have arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of former Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward Adam Johnson. As of publication, he reportedly had not been charged.
Johnson, then a member of the Nottingham Panthers, died on Oct. 28 following a “freak accident” during an Elite Ice Hockey League game against the Sheffield Steelers in England. The Minnesota native suffered a slash to the neck during the second period from the skate blade of another player and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
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An arrest was made Tuesday after a postmortem examination confirmed that Johnson died from the neck injury. The player whose skate clipped Johnson was Matt Petgrave, a Canadian defenseman who plays for the Sheffield Steelers.
“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,” Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a statement.
“We have been speaking to highly specialized experts in their field to assist in our inquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation.
“Adam’s death has sent shock waves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world. We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness, and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process. Our thoughts remain with all affected by this devastating incident as inquiries continue.”
Johnson, 29, played 30 games with the Phantoms during the 2021-22 season. He suited up for 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring his only goal on Oct. 12, 2019, against the Wild in Minnesota.