Man arrested following death of former NHL star Adam Johnson

An unnamed man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the loss of life of former NHL participant Adam Johnson who was tragically killed on the ice earlier this 12 months.

Johnson died resulting from a deadly reduce to his neck from a skate worn by Sheffield Steelers defender Matt Petgrave while enjoying for the Nottingham Panthers within the UK’s prime ice hockey division.

Described as a ‘freak accident,’ the tragedy led to the International Ice Hockey Federation making neck guards mandatory for all ranges of competitors of their tournaments, together with the Olympics.

On Tuesday, English Police arrested a person on suspicion of manslaughter – he has not been named, however many consider it to be Petgrave, who has a historical past of lashing out with acts of violence on the rink.

“Our investigation launched instantly following this tragedy and we’ve got been finishing up intensive inquiries ever since to piece collectively the occasions which led to the lack of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall stated.

Current occasions within the NHL involving star participant Connor Bedard have solely furthered the game’s necessity for obligatory neck guards.

Shut name tonight as Connor Bedard’s skate nearly reduce Mark Scheifele within the neck 😱 pic.twitter.com/shC4f9qTDJ

— Gino Laborious (@GinoHard_) December 28, 2023

Johnson’s teammate Westin Michaud defended Petgrave, saying the slash was an ‘unintentional clip’ and provided his help for the defender.

“The hate that Matt is receiving is horrible and utterly uncalled for,” Michaud posted. “It’s clear to me his actions have been unintentional and anybody suggesting in any other case is mistaken. Let’s come collectively and never unfold unwarranted hate to somebody who wants our help.” 

Johnson, who was born in Minnesota, performed in 13 NHL video games with the Pittsburgh Penguins through the 2018/19 and 2019/20 campaigns.

Among the participant’s household referred to as Petgrave’s act ‘reckless’ and demanded justice for his loss of life, which took the lifetime of a gifted and beloved individual far too quickly.