Matt Petgrave, the hockey player involved in the on-ice death of American hockey star Adam Johnson, will not face charges for the incident that led to Johnson’s death.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) declined to press charges even though Petgrave was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the freak collision in a British hockey league game on October 18, 2023, that led to Johnston’s death.
On that fateful night, Petgrave’s skate hit Johnson’s neck and slit his throat, leading to a fatal bleed.
Petgrave was not arrested immediately after the incident. Instead, South Yorkshire police arrested him two weeks later without publicly revealing his identity. However, after Petgrave launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay his legal fees, it became clear that he had been arrested.
“The CPS and South Yorkshire Police have worked closely together to determine whether any criminal charges should be brought against the other ice hockey player involved,” said Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Michael Quinn via The New York Post.
“Following a thorough police investigation and a comprehensive review of all the evidence by the CPS, we have concluded that there is not a realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offense, and so there will not be a prosecution. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Adam Johnson.”
The video of Petgrave’s collision with Johnson sparked online speculation about whether Petgrave had initiated the clash intentionally. However, neither the league nor Petgrave’s teammates believed the act was intentional.
One change that resulted from the tragedy was the English Ice Hockey Association’s rule change, which required all players to wear neck protection.
Johnson was a former member of the Pittsburgh Penguins who saw ice time during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons.
