CRIME Family of dead ice hockey star demand ‘justice’; Police arrest unnamed 'suspect'

StarryEyedLad

désespéré pour le ciel
3 Nov, 2023 18:07
Family of dead ice hockey star demand ‘justice’
Adam Johnson was killed during a game in the UK last week after his throat was cut by an opposing player’s skate


The family of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who died in a freak accident during a game in the UK last weekend, have called for “justice” from British authorities, saying the actions of the opposition player that led to his death were “reckless.”

Johnson, 29, died after suffering a fatal neck injury while playing for English ice hockey team the Nottingham Panthers in a game against the Sheffield Steelers in Sheffield last Saturday. In what appears to have been a freak accident, Steelers player Matt Petgrave kicked his leg up towards Johnson after a collision between the two, causing a large gash to his neck and massive blood loss.

After the incident, Johnson attempted to skate towards his team bench before collapsing to the ice. He was later pronounced dead after being transported to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.

“It was very reckless,” his aunt, Kari Johnson, said, according to Newsweek, on Thursday. “I just want [British authorities] to get it right. We are looking for justice for Adam.”

South Yorkshire Police confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that they have been “carrying out a range of inquiries, including reviewing footage, talking to witnesses and seeking the advice and support of highly specialized experts” as part of a probe into the fatal incident.

With video footage of the incident having gone viral online, some social media commenters have questioned Petgrave’s role in Johnson’s death, and how his skate came to connect with the player’s neck. Others, though, have dismissed such speculation and called it a “freak accident,” and offered support to Petgrave.

Kari Johnson said that what happened on the ice last Saturday was “not hockey.”

“You don’t take your leg and kick somebody and cut their throat. I’m sorry,” she said, according to Newsweek. “We were watching the game in real time and we did witness what happened. Horrific is the word to describe it.”

She added that for Petgrave “to have that leg come up that high and do a kicking motion like he did, that is just unacceptable.” However, she conceded that “Mr. Petgrave probably didn’t even think about what the consequences could be of that happening, but there comes a time when you have to realize, that’s not hockey.”

The incident that led to Johnson’s death happened three decades after one of the most infamous injuries in National Hockey League (NHL) history, when Buffalo Sabres player Clint Malarchuk’s carotid artery and jugular vein were cut by an opposing player's skate during a nationally televised game in the US.

He lost 1.5 liters of blood but his life was saved by a Sabres athletic trainer who had served as a US army combat medic during the Vietnam War.


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Some people are saying that this guy Petgrave kicked him deliberately. If so, it's at least manslaughter, right? It happened in the UK, though, so the legal proceedings will be different than they would be here in the US.

Also, I've seen many people online bring a racial element into this. Johnson was white, Petgrave is black.

Petgrave has now been arrested. Article to follow shortly.
 
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StarryEyedLad

désespéré pour le ciel
Police arrest suspect following death of ex-NHL player Adam Johnson
Johnson, 29, died after his neck was slashed by a skate's blade on Oct. 28
By Paulina Dedaj
Published November 14, 2023 11:59am EST

Police in England have arrested a suspect in connection with the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, who tragically died last month when his neck was slashed by the skate of an opposing player.

The South Yorkshire Police released a statement Tuesday confirming an arrest in their investigation into the death of 29-year-old Johnson. The suspect, who was not identified by law enforcement, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Police said the suspect remains in custody.

The former Pittsburgh Penguins forward was playing in a Challenge Cup game between the Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena on Oct. 28 when, during the second period, he suffered a fatal neck wound.

Matt Petgrave, from Sheffield, collided with another player, causing his skate to go up in the air.

The Nottingham Panthers later released a statement confirming Johnson’s death, calling it a "freak accident."

Police said Tuesday that an autopsy revealed his official cause of death was the result of a "fatal neck injury."

"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 said in a statement.

"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."

The death of Johnson, who appeared in 13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, has reignited the debate around player safety and protective gear.

Several NHL players have since spoken out and worn protective neck gear during NHL games.

The NHL currently does not mandate protective neck gear.


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A 'suspect' has been arrested - Petgrave not mentioned by name, but who else would it be?

Are they shielding his identity because he's black?
 
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Redleg

Veteran Member
I don't see how this can go anywhere. It was an accident on the ice when they ran into each other. He's a professional hockey player. You'd think he would have all of the safety equipment to play. Although it is England, and they may do things a little different over there. They do like to get physical in their sports. I saw a clip about some small towns over there that challenge other towns to some kind of football game where they run around town kicking a ball all over the place while the other team is trying to take it back and these boys get beat up good. I don't think there are any refs in the game that's for sure.
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
3 Nov, 2023 18:07
Family of dead ice hockey star demand ‘justice’
Adam Johnson was killed during a game in the UK last week after his throat was cut by an opposing player’s skate


The family of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who died in a freak accident during a game in the UK last weekend, have called for “justice” from British authorities, saying the actions of the opposition player that led to his death were “reckless.”

Johnson, 29, died after suffering a fatal neck injury while playing for English ice hockey team the Nottingham Panthers in a game against the Sheffield Steelers in Sheffield last Saturday. In what appears to have been a freak accident, Steelers player Matt Petgrave kicked his leg up towards Johnson after a collision between the two, causing a large gash to his neck and massive blood loss.

After the incident, Johnson attempted to skate towards his team bench before collapsing to the ice. He was later pronounced dead after being transported to Sheffield’s Northern General Hospital.

“It was very reckless,” his aunt, Kari Johnson, said, according to Newsweek, on Thursday. “I just want [British authorities] to get it right. We are looking for justice for Adam.”

South Yorkshire Police confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that they have been “carrying out a range of inquiries, including reviewing footage, talking to witnesses and seeking the advice and support of highly specialized experts” as part of a probe into the fatal incident.

With video footage of the incident having gone viral online, some social media commenters have questioned Petgrave’s role in Johnson’s death, and how his skate came to connect with the player’s neck. Others, though, have dismissed such speculation and called it a “freak accident,” and offered support to Petgrave.

Kari Johnson said that what happened on the ice last Saturday was “not hockey.”

“You don’t take your leg and kick somebody and cut their throat. I’m sorry,” she said, according to Newsweek. “We were watching the game in real time and we did witness what happened. Horrific is the word to describe it.”

She added that for Petgrave “to have that leg come up that high and do a kicking motion like he did, that is just unacceptable.” However, she conceded that “Mr. Petgrave probably didn’t even think about what the consequences could be of that happening, but there comes a time when you have to realize, that’s not hockey.”

The incident that led to Johnson’s death happened three decades after one of the most infamous injuries in National Hockey League (NHL) history, when Buffalo Sabres player Clint Malarchuk’s carotid artery and jugular vein were cut by an opposing player's skate during a nationally televised game in the US.

He lost 1.5 liters of blood but his life was saved by a Sabres athletic trainer who had served as a US army combat medic during the Vietnam War.


=====================================================

Some people are saying that this guy Petgrave kicked him deliberately. If so, it's at least manslaughter, right? It happened in the UK, though, so the legal proceedings will be different than they would be here in the US.

Also, I've seen many people online bring a racial element into this. Johnson was white, Petgrave is black.

Petgrave has now been arrested. Article to follow shortly.
If there's credible proof Petgrave actually struck a blow at the deceased, he could be charged. If the event is adjudged to not be malicious but just part of the normal push & shove of a fast-paced game, maybe not.

Manslaughter has a different threshold in UK Jurisprudence than in America.


Going to need critical review of game tapes by people very familiar with the game.
 
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kochevnik

Senior Member
I don't see how this can go anywhere. It was an accident on the ice when they ran into each other. He's a professional hockey player. You'd think he would have all of the safety equipment to play. Although it is England, and they may do things a little different over there. They do like to get physical in their sports. I saw a clip about some small towns over there that challenge other towns to some kind of football game where they run around town kicking a ball all over the place while the other team is trying to take it back and these boys get beat up good. I don't think there are any refs in the game that's for sure.

I am a lifelong ice hockey player - was on a team even as late as this year - started when I was 3 or 4.
It was absolutely positively NOT an accident - I watched the vid many times - he SET UP that round house kick at least a couple seconds before he executed it. He was gunning to take that guy out of the game for sure.

Absolutely Positively Manslaughter. And all the hockey guys on my team - combined probably a thousand of years of hockey experience (not a misquote) agree.

And as a hockey player almost no players with their equipment on could even execute a kick like that - I know as sure as hell I could not ever have pulled that off even when I was younger. Never even seen someone even try to do that before at any time on the ice.
Also in professional hockey teams hire guys called enforcers - their sole job is to beat the shit out of other players (legally mostly) - that was this guys role on the team - he had more penalty minutes and been kicked out of more games for heinous shit than anyone in the league.

I will add the other night when that team played a game again the audience gave a standing ovation to that **** who killed that guy - everyone of them should get their own kid slaughtered like that and see what its really like.

Virtue signaling f*ckwits.

And finally - hockey guys hit hard but there is an entire culture around that for anyone who plays the game - everyone understands the difference between hard clean hits and bogus cheapshots.

If this guy had stepped on the ice again against ANY hockey team they would have taken him off the ice in an ambulance (or a coroners meatwagon) for sure - every player on the ice would have targeted this **** for execution and the players on his own team would have just sat back and watched.

I would have happily put him in a hospital myself and slept like a baby afterwards. The cops saved this f*cks life by putting him in jail.

And what an amazing coincidence that no one has died in 150 years of white guys playing ice hockey this way but it was a n*g*er that accomplished this feat.
 
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Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
That's only part of the story; have these 2 competed before? Is there history from those matches? Amything specific between them from this game? Or from personal interactions off the ice?

Many possible factors or, maybe it was a freak accident. Some UK coroner & maybe some coppers & a crown prosecuter get to decide if this merits a charge and what that might be.

Then the circus, complete with gowns & wigs starts.

As usual these days, what passes for journalism is little less than clickbait.
ETA

And post 06 above courtesy kochevnik is exactly what I was talking about; detailed analysis by someone well experienced. in the game.

If the UK authorities can validate such circumstances, now it's about drilling down about previous issues between them or even just earlier in this game. If planning or staging can be proved, this could advance well past manslaughter.
If based on this game only, 2nd degree murder might be a likely charge. If they've been at each over a season, a first degree murder charge might be brought.
 
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WalknTrot

Veteran Member
I've been watching hockey all my life. It sure looked malicious to me. Maybe "heat of the moment", but intent - at least for intimidation - was there. Those guys know from pond hockey on as kids what kind of damage a high skate can do.

The Johnson kid played up here on the Range, and at U of MN Duluth and his death was taken real hard by his former team-mates and coaches along with family and friends. I've left in the links to the other other articles published up here on the subject.

Man arrested in connection with Adam Johnson incident​

The former Hibbing/Chisholm and Minnesota Duluth men's hockey player suffered a fatal cut to the neck from the skate blade of an opponent.​

memorial to hockey player

Floral arrangements and photos on display in the lobby during a celebration of life for former Hibbing and Minnesota Duluth hockey player Adam Johnson on Nov. 6, at the Hibbing Memorial Building. Johnson died last month due to injuries sustained from an on-ice accident.
Clint Austin / File / Duluth Media Group

By Staff reports
Today at 11:35 AM


SHEFFIELD, United Kingdom — A man has been arrested Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter in the investigation of the death of former Hibbing/Chisholm and Minnesota Duluth men's hockey player Adam Johnson in an on-ice incident on Oct. 28.

The South Yorkshire Police have been conducting the investigation after Johnson suffered a fatal cut to the neck from the skate blade of an opponent during an Elite Ice Hockey League game between Johnson's Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers in Sheffield.

After extensive treatment at the arena, Johnson was taken to a local hospital and died of his injuries.

MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
"We have been carrying out extensive inquiries to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances," said detective chief superintendent Becs Horsfall in a news release. "We have been speaking to highly specialised 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 shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world."

The arrested man was not identified but remains in police custody, according to the release.

Kari Johnson, Adam's aunt, told the New York Post earlier this month that she believes the other player did not intend to kill Adam, but that actions were "very reckless."

“I just want them [authorities investigating] to get it right. We are looking for justice for Adam," she told the Post.

Reached Tuesday by The Rink Live following news of the arrest, Kari Johnson said the family won't be commenting at this time.

An inquest into Johnson's death was recently adjourned until Jan. 26, 2024, to allow for a coroner's investigation to be completed.

This story was updated at 1:06 p.m. with previous comments by a member of the Johnson family. It was originally posted at 11:35 a.m. on Nov. 14.
 
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Southside

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I don't see how this can go anywhere. It was an accident on the ice when they ran into each other. He's a professional hockey player. You'd think he would have all of the safety equipment to play. Although it is England, and they may do things a little different over there. They do like to get physical in their sports. I saw a clip about some small towns over there that challenge other towns to some kind of football game where they run around town kicking a ball all over the place while the other team is trying to take it back and these boys get beat up good. I don't think there are any refs in the game that's for sure.
So, you didn't watch it. If you did, you would realize that it was deliberate.
 

Josie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Police in England have arrested a suspect in connection with the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, who tragically died last month when his neck was slashed by the skate of an opposing player.
Wanna bet it's the guy that sharpened the skates that is arrested? The player in question is a member of the protected class.
And what an amazing coincidence that no one has died in 150 years of white guys playing ice hockey this way but it was a n*g*er that accomplished this feat.
To be fair, there are black players that play the game but the majority of them are Canadian where hockey is a religion. Petgrave has a history of malicious hits and a butt load of penalty minutes to back it up. I watched the video and for the life of me, it was trying to come up with a reason for a player to have their skate up that high and I could not come up with one. What a lot of people don't understand, those skates are SHARP and they do damage whenever they come into contact with flesh. Maybe the accidental part was that Petgrave was maybe going for the head or face and got the neck instead?
 

The Hammer

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often just by accident.

But when you get players who can't control their emotions, when all the players are wearing blades on their shoes, it becomes even more dangerous.
 

onetimer

Veteran Member
I am a lifelong ice hockey player - was on a team even as late as this year - started when I was 3 or 4.
It was absolutely positively NOT an accident - I watched the vid many times - he SET UP that round house kick at least a couple seconds before he executed it. He was gunning to take that guy out of the game for sure.

Absolutely Positively Manslaughter. And all the hockey guys on my team - combined probably a thousand of years of hockey experience (not a misquote) agree.

And as a hockey player almost no players with their equipment on could even execute a kick like that - I know as sure as hell I could not ever have pulled that off even when I was younger. Never even seen someone even try to do that before at any time on the ice.
Also in professional hockey teams hire guys called enforcers - their sole job is to beat the shit out of other players (legally mostly) - that was this guys role on the team - he had more penalty minutes and been kicked out of more games for heinous shit than anyone in the league.

I will add the other night when that team played a game again the audience gave a standing ovation to that **** who killed that guy - everyone of them should get their own kid slaughtered like that and see what its really like.

Virtue signaling f*ckwits.

And finally - hockey guys hit hard but there is an entire culture around that for anyone who plays the game - everyone understands the difference between hard clean hits and bogus cheapshots.

If this guy had stepped on the ice again against ANY hockey team they would have taken him off the ice in an ambulance (or a coroners meatwagon) for sure - every player on the ice would have targeted this **** for execution and the players on his own team would have just sat back and watched.

I would have happily put him in a hospital myself and slept like a baby afterwards. The cops saved this f*cks life by putting him in jail.

And what an amazing coincidence that no one has died in 150 years of white guys playing ice hockey this way but it was a n*g*er that accomplished this feat.
100% agree. Only played 10 years but have watch the game at all levels for 30 plus hence my forum name OneTimer.

His body position was so unnatural that, to me, it instantly stood out as not an innocent play. If you've played you know damn well where other players are. Your peripheral vision is unreal and he knew there was someone there. He will have to answer for his actions.

The standing ovation was disgusting.
 

WalknTrot

Veteran Member
He bled out very quickly so a main artery (carotid) or jugular vein was severed.
Ya. I'd say that one sliced the carotid. Jugular can actually be dealt with in many cases. Wish the kid would have stayed down, but he probably didn't know how serious.

The more people actually see the video, the clearer the picture becomes....beside the fact that the offender had a history of uncontrolled, violent behavior on the ice in the past.
 

Ragnarok

On and On, South of Heaven
Ya. I'd say that one sliced the carotid. Jugular can actually be dealt with in many cases. Wish the kid would have stayed down, but he probably didn't know how serious.

Even if he had stayed down, if it was carotid I've seen a bleed out in about 10 seconds.

I don't know why they are being so secretive about who they arrested. Everyone knows.

1700097280862.png
Matt Petgrave - The league's most-penalized player with 129 infractions in 54 games.

Petgrave was the most penalized player in the Canadian league and was known as a "dirty" player. I don't think he meant to kill the other player but there is no doubt in my mind that he was intentionally trying to make a dirty hit.
 
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