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The hockey world suffered an unspeakable tragedy over the weekend when 29-year-old former NHL play Adam Johnson was killed following on-ice incident.
Johnson, who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins in parts of two seasons from 2018-2020, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers of the Elite Ice Hockey League in England when he was hit in the neck by an opposing player’s skate.
He was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead, South Yorkshire Police said.
The opposing player, Matt Pettgrave, has since become the target of abuse from many online who claim that he intentionally struck Johnson in the neck.
Police are in the process of investigating the death. But they’ve said nothing to indicate any suspicion of foul play.
Sadly, that hasn’t prevented Petgrave from facing persistent online abuse.
Now it appears the hockey world is stepping in to put an end to it.
Hockey World Steps In To Defend Matt Petgrave In Tragic Adam Johnson Incident
Westin Michaud, a teammate of Johnson, was the first to speak out.
https://twitter.com/WestinMichaud/status/1719138457711214984
“I need to address something about the accident. We wholeheartedly stand with Matt Petgrave,” Michaud began. “The hate that Matt is receiving is terrible and completely uncalled for. I was at ice level on the bench closest to the accident, I saw both players moving fast.
“The unintentional clip of the Panther player’s leg by the Sheffield player caused the somersault. It’s clear to me his actions were unintentional and anyone suggesting otherwise is mistaken. Let’s come together and not spread unwarranted hate to someone who needs our (sp) support.”
He was soon joined by several others.
“..It’s clearly not intentional and the fact that people are trying to make this out to be intentional is why Matt Petgrave, who is probably already blaming himself Adam Johnson’s death, is currently receiving hate mail from complete strangers,” Roy Bellamy of Meadowlark Media tweeted.
“Tremendous respect for Westin, who was Adam Johnson’s teammate this year,” wrote Chris Peters of FloHockey Today has been a bizarre exercise in attacking someone in the absence of facts or context. For Westin to do this amid certain grief and shock is an act of grace and compassion that so many seem to lack.”
Petgrave, 31, is in his second year with the Sheffield Steelers.