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Manslaughter charges have been brought against a yet to be named individual in relation to the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson.
Johnson, who played in parts of two seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL, was killed on Oct. 28 when an opposing player’s skate blade slashed his neck during an Elite Ice Hockey League in England.
The player whose errant skate blade led to Adam Johnson’s death, Matt Pettgrave, was investigated by South Yorkshire Police following the incident.
On Tuesday, South Yorkshire Police stated, “Detectives have today (Tuesday 14 November) arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter. He remains in police custody at this time.
“On Saturday 28 October, Adam, aged 29, was seriously injured during a game between Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers and was sadly later pronounced deceased in hospital. A post-mortem examination confirmed he died as a result of a fatal neck injury.”
Police did not name who was arrested and charged with manslaughter.
“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 told the Yorkshire Post.
“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.”
Following Johnson’s death, numerous people in the hockey world defended Matt Pettgrave from the onslaught of online abuse he was receiving from people claiming he did it on purpose.