April 29 (UPI) — No criminal charges will be filed against a fellow ice hockey player arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the 2023 death of NHL player Adam Johnson, prosecutors announced Monday.
“We have concluded that there is not a realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offense,” Yorkshire and Humberside’s deputy chief crown prosecutor Michael Quinn said in a statement.
Johnson, 29, died October 28, 2023, following a deadly neck injury characterized as a “freak accident” in an on-ice collision with the Sheffield Steelers’ Matt Petgrave during a game in Britain’s top hockey league with Johnson’s Nottingham Panthers in front of some 8,000 spectators.
In November 2023, South Yorkshire Police revealed that officers had arrested an unnamed man in connection to the fatal incident, and had worked with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to determined if criminal charges should be issued.
“And so there will not be a prosecution,” Quinn added, calling the sporting death “shocking and deeply unsettling.”
Petgrave, a Canadian citizen, spent 17 months out on bail after his arrest and has denied any allegations of wrongdoing, calling it a “tragic accident.”
“No one should have their rights stripped away while facing an ongoing investigation, especially when no charges have been brought,” the Petgrave family wrote in a February message to supporters.
“Yet, Matthew remains unable to work, support himself, or even return home. This has only added to the immense toll this situation has taken on his well-being,” they said.
South Yorkshire Police officials say “extensive” inquiries included a review of footage, the interviewing of witnesses and consultations with “highly-specialized” North American experts.
“Our investigation has involved complex consultations with specialist experts from North America, as well as working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service,” Detective Chief Inspector Benjamin Wood, senior investigating officer, stated in a release.
Johnson, born in 1994 near Grand Rapids, Minn., signed a two-year contract in July 2017 with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and played 13 games, with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Ontario Reign and Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The English Ice Hockey Association, which governs the foreign league, later required its players to all wear neck guards on ice in response to Johnson’s death.
“While our investigation has now concluded, our thoughts remain wholeheartedly with Adam’s family, and everyone who has been affected by this devastating tragedy,” Wood continued.
