Tragedy on Ice: UK Police Investigating Gruesome Death of U.S. Hockey Player
By Teri Christoph Ice hockey player Adam Johnson died Saturday in England after sustaining a gruesome cut to the neck from the skate of an opposing player, and U.K. police are now investigating. Note: We are sharing a tweet that shows a short, slowed-down video of the incident, but we are not showing any graphic photos or video of Johnson's fatal injury or the aftermath.
Johnson, 29, an American who once played for the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins and was playing for Britain's Elite Ice Hockey League, was taking part in a game between his team, the Nottingham Panthers, and rivals the Sheffield Steelers. The game was in the 35th minute when Steelers player Matt Petgrave crashed into another player on the ice and then careened toward Johnson with his skate lifted high in the air.
The blade of Petgrave's boot made contact with Johnson's neck, causing Johnson to fall to the ice. Reports state that Johnson then tried to get up, with blood gushing from the wound, and attempted to leave the ice with the aid of a referee and a fellow teammate. He fell again to the ice, where fellow players formed a privacy ring around him while a doctor and two trauma nurses worked on him, but their attempts were, ultimately, unsuccessful.
Not good. https://t.co/Ousrrg6sfE pic.twitter.com/LFPqxOd8JJ
— Freddy (@FreddyDEFI) October 30, 2023
The above tweet continues:
Petgrave has a history of bad behavior in the EIHL, including racking up the most penalty minutes (2022-2023 season) and getting booted out of games
The media quickly has declared it a total accident, but many viewers and expert hockey players are not convinced.
What do you think? (Slowed-down clip)
A spokesperson for the South Yorkshire Police, who are leading the investigation, said it was "normal procedure" to conduct an inquiry in such circumstances and asked the public not to jump to conclusions:
Our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident remain ongoing. We would encourage the public to avoid speculation regarding the incident while we continue our inquiries.
Despite the pleas from the police, there is rampant speculation online that Petgrave, an experienced ice hockey player, had raised his leg on purpose in order to cause some amount of harm to the opposing player. Many are calling for Petgrave to face charges, while others are claiming it was just a freak accident.
In the aftermath of Johnson's death, some international hockey leagues are requiring their players to wear neck guards in the hopes of preventing similar tragedies in the future, a measure that has already been adopted in Finland and Sweden. There is no word yet whether the NHL is considering a neck guard mandate, but many players seem to be adding the protective gear on their own.
There are reports that Johnson had recently purchased an engagement ring for his girlfriend, Ryan Wolfe, but had yet to pop the question. Wolfe was reportedly at Saturday's game and rushed down to the ice to be with Johnson while medical professionals worked to save his life.
Adam Johnson was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, grew up in Hibbing, and played for two seasons at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He left college to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by some time playing in Sweden. He was in his first season with the Nottingham Panthers.
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