Death of Hockey Player Adam Johnson Sends Shock Through Hockey Community 

By Sammy Nishihama

November 5, 2023

In Nottingham, England, the Nottingham Panthers, a professional ice hockey team, recently played in a match against the Sheffield Steelers. Player Adam Johnson was fatally wounded by the blade of an opponent’s ice skate. On October 28th, Johnson was out on the ice when opponent Matt Petgrave negligently swung his leg up in the air, slicing through Johnson’s neck. Johnson was transported to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. This tragic loss begs the question, what will happen to Petgrave?

According to Dan Sheldon of The Athletic, the South Yorkshire Police made an arrest on Tuesday, November 14th, on suspicion of manslaughter. In England, suspects can be held up to 24 hours before the police have to either charge or release the suspect. In the case of Adam Johnson, Petgrave was released on bail. 

However, it has to be noted that Petgrave does have a record of negligence, or intended violence on the ice. According to the New York Post, “Petgrave [used] a similar unorthodox move in 2009, where he threw his left elbow and right trailing leg as he was passing a player on the other team. The player who Petgrave hit went spiraling in the air, landing on his head and neck area.” Petgrave also has a history of acting rough and negligent on the ice, as well as struggling to compose himself, a prime example being 

Forward Adam Johnson playing at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield (Photo credit: BBC news)

Fans paying tribute to Adam Johnson by laying down flowers with notes (Photo credit: CNN)

when he was penalized for abuse of officials. Many users on various social media platforms claim that the kick was intentional, while Johnson’s teammate Westin Michaud tells Cole Premo of CBS News, “it’s clear to me that his actions were unintentional.” It has yet to be confirmed whether his actions were intentional or not.

This loss has severely affected the hockey community, and as a result, the EIHA (Elite Ice Hockey Association) is now going to require all players to wear neck guards, starting in 2024. Adam Johnson’s team officially retired his number 47 at a memorial match against Manchester Storm. As for Petgrave, if the courts find that he did intend to hurt Johnson, his career is basically over. “Not only will no hockey team touch him for fear of bad publicity he could actually go to prison for manslaughter,” says Paul Vernon of Marca.com. The death of Adam Johnson is a tragic event that could have easily been prevented, and will haunt hockey fans and players for the rest of their lives.