An ex-NHL hockey player currently playing in a European league died following what is being described as a “freak accident” (more on whether it was actually accidental later) on the ice in Sheffield, England over the weekend.
Advertisement
Via Associated Press:
American hockey player Adam Johnson, who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, has died after his neck was cut by a skate blade during a game in England on Saturday, his team said. He was 29.
Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut during the second period of the Elite Ice Hockey League game at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.
“The Nottingham Panthers are truly devastated to announce that Adam Johnson has tragically passed away following a freak accident at the game in Sheffield last night,” the team said Sunday.
WARNING: The following video depicting the incident is graphic, although it is not the most graphic video available on the web. Viewer discretion is advised.
Calling the murder of hockey player Adam Johnson a freak accident is like saying the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack was committed by an SUV. pic.twitter.com/nEUCfaornd
— Chad Crowley (@CCrowley100) October 30, 2023
The most pressing question in the aftermath of this tragedy, as alluded to in the above Tweet, is whether it was intentional or accidental. The team and league are uniformly insisting it was the latter, although the video appears to defy that claim.
The most pertinent point here is that the lifting of the leg – skate razor-edge first – is both obviously intentional and without any legitimate sporting purpose. There is no reason to make that move in hockey, as I can attest to as a former hockey player myself.
Advertisement
The player whose skate slashed Johnson’s throat, Matt Petgrave, is a notoriously dirty player, having accumulated the most penalty minutes in the whole league during the 2022-23 season.
NHL player Adam Johnson (29) died on live TV after Matt Petgrave slashed his throat with his skate
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… pic.twitter.com/dXW6iuuThP
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) October 30, 2023
It’s hard to believe that Petgrave, even if he were the worst kind of monster, would have premeditatively committed murder live on television, knowing the cameras were trained on him, but the video speaks for itself.
Police are reportedly still investigating the incident/potential crime.
Via Daily Mail:
Police are investigating the death of a tragic ice hockey star who is believed to have been killed when a skate slashed his throat in a freak accident…
Officers from the force remain at the scene and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
A spokesperson said: ‘We were called at 8.25pm yesterday (28 October) to reports that a player had been seriously injured during a Sheffield Steelers versus Nottingham Panthers game at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.