April 29, 2025, 08:33 am at
LONDON – The man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson has been told he will not face charges, British prosecutors said Tuesday.
Johnson played for the Nottingham Panthers and died shortly after his neck was sliced in a collision with Sheffield Steelers defensive man Matt Petgrave during the October 28th game.
The man was arrested two weeks later, and South Yorkshire police did not publicly identify him, but Petgrave himself said he was the subject of a police investigation on a legal fee crowdfunding appeal.
On Tuesday, the Crown Prosecutor’s Office (CPS) ruled that it would not result in criminal charges against the man arrested following what was described as a “shocking and deeply upsetting incident.”
“The CPS and South Yorkshire Police have worked closely to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against other ice hockey players involved,” said Deputy General Attorney Michael Quinn.
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“Following a thorough police investigation and a comprehensive review of all evidence by the CPS, we concluded that there is no realistic prospect of a criminal offence and therefore no prosecution will be carried out. Our thoughts remain with Adam Johnson’s family and friends.”
After his arrest, Petgrave had been rebailed several times while the investigation was underway. His representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.
During the game, Johnson was skating in Sheffield’s defensive zone with Puck when Petgrave clashed with another Panthers player nearby. Petgrave’s left skating was promoted when he began to fall and the blade hit Johnson in his neck.
The person from Hibbing, Minnesota, was declared dead at a nearby hospital. The death of the 29-year-old former Pittsburgh Penguin has sparked a sport-wide debate over improving player safety.
Petgrave, a 33-year-old Canadian, received support from some of Johnson’s teammates. “There’s no possibility that it was intentional,” Victor Bjorkun told the Swedish newspaper. Björkun plays a pass to Johnson and says he has been traumatized by what he saw. As a result, he left the team.
Johnson was one of the “import” players in the elite ice hockey league and was in his first season at Nottingham after a stint in Germany and several games for the Penguins in the 2018-19-20 season.
Johnson lived with his fiancé, Ryan Wolf, and studied at Loughborough Business School.
The British Ice Hockey Association, which dominates sports under the elite league, has responded to Johnson’s death since the beginning of 2024 by requiring all British players to wear neck guards.
