The horrific incident on Saturday evening that resulted in the death of Adam Johnson, a player for the Nottingham Panthers in the British Elite Ice Hockey League, shocked the sporting world.
This has led to a UK police investigation and a review of safety requirements in sport, particularly around whether neck protectors should now be mandatory for players.
The reverberations will be felt for many weeks and possibly years. But what do we know – and what happens next?
What exactly happened?
Johnson, 29, arrived in England three months ago after playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Malmo Redhawks of Sweden, the Ontario Reign and the Augsburger Panther in Germany.
He was playing in a Challenge Cup game at the Sheffield Arena on October 28 when he was cut in the neck by the skate of 31-year-old Sheffield Steelers player Matt Petgrave.
The collision, witnessed by 8,000 spectators, occurred in the 35th minute of the match, which started at 7pm UK time.
Johnson briefly stood up, bleeding profusely, and was carried to the edge of the ice by the referee and a teammate before collapsing again. The players surrounded Johnson and tried to help him in any way they could.
He received immediate medical attention and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed on the ice until an ambulance arrived.
A spokesman for Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it was called to Sheffield Arena at 8.21pm on Saturday evening following an “incident on the ice”. Two ambulances and an intensive care paramedic were on duty.
Johnson briefly regained his pulse in the ambulance but later died at Northern General Hospital in Sheffield. His girlfriend Ryan Wolfe, who moved to Nottingham with him for the 2023/24 season, was also present at the hospital.
In a post on Instagram, she wrote: “My sweet, sweet angel. I will miss you forever and love you always.”
Kari Johnson, Adam’s aunt, said she and his father, Davey, watched the incident on a livestream of the game, but it was cut short after the incident.
“It was terrible,” she told KSTP-TV in Minnesota. “No one should have to experience what we saw.” She added: “He didn’t make it through the operation when they took him to hospital. They just couldn’t stop the bleeding.”
Johnson is also survived by his mother Susan, older brother Ryan and grandmother Marilyn.
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What was said about the circumstances of Johnson’s death?
In a statement released the day of the incident, the Panthers, who play in the Elite Ice Hockey League, said the death was a “freak accident” and they were “devastated.”
But in response to claims on social media that Petgrave intentionally kicked Johnson, Panthers player Victor Bjorkung issued his own statement, saying he did not blame him for the incident.
He told Swedish newspaper Expressen: “What Matt (Petgrave) experienced is unimaginable. I don’t understand how some people can behave, it’s inhumane. I texted him and expressed how I felt about everything and I support him. Nobody on our team thinks it’s their fault, quite the opposite. We are a big family and he can contact us if he needs. I was a few meters away. So if anyone experienced it as it really was, it was me.”
Westin Michaud, 27, another of Johnson’s teammates, also defended Petgrave.
However, not everyone shares this view. Kari Johnson said the family is seeking justice for Johnson and wants a “full investigation.”
“I just want them to do it right,” she said. “You don’t take your leg, kick someone and slit their throat. Some of us think it’s a very, very bad measure.”
Two former Canadian professional players, Sean Avery and Chris Therien, have criticized Petgrave.
On Fox, Avery claimed Petgrave had made an unusual move. “Do I think he tried to make some kind of contact? Absolutely,” he said. “Do I think he woke up and said, ‘I’m going to murder someone today?’ NO.”
Petgrave has yet to comment on Saturday’s tragic incident. The Athletic has asked the Sheffield Steelers if they plan to make a statement on his behalf.
What do the British authorities say?
On Tuesday afternoon, South Yorkshire Police – which is responsible for the investigation into Johnson’s death – said its investigation was “continuing” and was likely to “take some time”.
It said investigators had reviewed footage, spoken to witnesses and sought the advice and assistance of highly specialized experts to try to fully understand the incident. It has also worked closely with Sheffield City Council’s Health and Safety Department, which is supporting the investigation.
The officers have now left the crime scene. Police urged the public to avoid speculation about the incident, including on social media.
An examination date has not yet been set, but the opening will take place in Sheffield on Friday morning. This is essentially a procedural hearing where the coroner formally announces that he is investigating a death. They usually only last a few minutes and are postponed until a later date.
What are the current neck brace rules in the UK?
Currently, all players in the UK can play without neck protection from the age of 18. However, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA), which covers all levels below the Elite League in which Johnson played, already “strongly recommends” all players. wear them. This will be mandatory from January 1, 2024.
The Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL), the top ice hockey competition in the United Kingdom, has not yet commented on whether or not it will make neck guards mandatory following Johnson’s death.
Neck protection is not mandatory in the top British league (Chris Tanouye/Getty Images)
The Athletic has asked the league what safety measures might be put in place following the incident but has not yet received a response.
On Monday Oxford City Stars, who play in Division One South and have Petr Cech, the former Chelsea football goalkeeper, in their squad, announced they would make neck guards compulsory.
Scottish Ice Hockey and Ice Hockey UK – which runs the British national team – already require neck protection. In some countries such as Finland and Sweden they are already mandatory. USA Hockey has previously recommended following suit.
On Monday, decorated former Canadian player Hayley Wickenheiser tweeted: “I know it may not go beyond the ‘cool’ factor, but it’s time for mandatory neck protection at all levels of hockey.” The risk is far too great, it not to do.”
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What medical requirements are in place at Elite Ice Hockey League games?
A Sheffield Steelers spokesperson confirmed to The Athletic that they have a qualified team doctor who attends every game. They added that there were no ambulances on site for any of the division’s games.
There is no requirement for a medical professional to sit on the bench for EIHA games below the top division. St John Ambulance, a British first aid charity made up of trained volunteers who provide emergency treatment, including at many sporting events, does not cover ice hockey games.
The Athletic has asked the EIHL to clarify its medical regulations and whether it will change its policies, but has not yet received a response.
Has this happened before?
Incidents like the one that killed Johnson are rare but not unprecedented.
Teddy Balkind, a 16-year-old American high school student, died after another player’s skate injured his neck during a game in Connecticut in January 2022.
A year earlier, 19-year-old Russian player Timur Faizutdinov, playing for Dynamo Saint Petersburg’s junior team, was hit in the head by the puck during a game. It damaged a carotid artery and he died four days later.
Bengt Akerblom, 28, a Swedish professional player, died when his throat was cut by an ice skate in October 1995. This led to the wearing of neck protection becoming mandatory in Sweden.
Flowers at Nottingham Panthers in honor of Adam Johnson (Daniel Taylor)
Could Petgrave face police action?
All criminal charges require the police to provide the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – the independent agency that prosecutes criminal cases in the UK – with enough substantial evidence to decide whether to pursue a case.
But Dev Kumar Parmar, an international sports lawyer and principal director at Parmars, said it would be very difficult for the CPS to bring criminal proceedings against Petgrave.
He told The Athletic: “From a theoretical perspective it can happen. If they wanted to prosecute, they would have to prove that the act that took place went beyond the standard and rules of ice hockey accepted on the rink.
“It would be something that exceeds the reasonable expectations and understanding of risk that the victim would have assumed when entering the rink. If it was anything beyond that, it would be considered “sufficiently serious” and you could then seek to bring criminal proceedings.
“But from a practical perspective the prosecution will first want to see a reasonable prospect of a conviction, and then when they see that they will want to do everything they can to secure that conviction.” That’s now at a higher standard. To do this, you would have to prove that it was more than a freak accident. Practically speaking, I hardly see a chance.”
How about a civil lawsuit?
Even if no criminal charges are filed, it is possible that Petgrave could face a civil lawsuit.
“The standard of proof is lower,” Parmar explained. “In a civil case, you are not asking a jury to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that someone committed a crime, but rather you are asking a judge to judge on the balance of probabilities whether there is enough evidence to say that the plaintiff’s case is stronger. “than that of the defendant.”
Adam Johnson is remembered before the game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks (Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
What consequences could the case have?
Dan Chapman, partner and head of sport and employment at UK law firm Leathes Prior, explained how tragic deaths had led to significant changes in other sports.
“Because there has been a death, the principle is that it is not within the power of the sports governing body to deal with it as it sees fit,” he said.
“Health and safety officers will be involved and look into whether the sport’s governing body, the team in question or the venue has failed to provide safe equipment – such investigations have occurred over the years in horse racing, for example, when there has been a fatality. You have a duty to investigate whether there was negligence or preventable incidents, or whether these were simply tragic and bizarre circumstances.
“There was such an investigation in motorsport when Henry Surtees died in 2009 – when he was hit by the steering wheel of another car at Brands Hatch – and the conclusion was that no one was to blame. However, this led to the introduction of “Halo” cockpit protection as it became clear that additional protection measures were required.
“This case could lead to prosecutions and litigation or, as in motorsports, lead to everyone concluding that they need to change the way the guards are worn.”
In the short term, the Nottingham Panthers – along with the rest of the Elite League – have postponed the game they were due to play last Sunday. They also canceled Tuesday’s game against Glasgow Clan, Saturday’s meeting with Cardiff Devils and Sunday’s away game in Glasgow.
They have invited hockey fans to gather at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham on Saturday evening to pay tribute to Johnson. Fans are invited onto the carpeted ice to sign a book of condolence.
Matches involving other Elite League fixtures are scheduled to resume on Saturday.
(Top photos: Adam Johnson and Matt Petgrave; John Russell/NHLI via Getty Images; Claus Andersen/Getty Images)