The shocking death of hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was inadvertently slashed by another player’s skate blade, will not lead to criminal charges, authorities announced Tuesday.
Matt Petgrave, 33, had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter shortly after Johnson’s death on Oct. 28, 2023.
The two men were competing in Britain’s top league when Petgrave collided with another player, sending his skate into the air and slicing Johnson’s neck. Despite the efforts of emergency personnel, Johnson was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. He was 29.
British prosecutors launched an extensive investigation of the incident, ordering Petgrave — a Toronto native — to remain in the country throughout the process.
“This was a shocking and deeply upsetting incident,” Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Michael Quinn said in a statement. “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 offence and so there will not be a prosecution.”
Matt Petgrave of the Owen Sound Attack skates with the puck against the Kootenay Ice during the 2011 CHL Mastercard Memorial Cup game on May 21, 2011 at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Canada. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Petgrave was never publicly identified by British authorities, but he was identified on video as the player whose skate cut Johnson’s neck.
Johnson was a native of Hibbing, Minn., who played 13 games in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019. Overseas, he played in Sweden and Germany before earning a spot on Britain’s Nottingham Panthers for the 2023-24 season.
His death sparked debate about neck guards in hockey worldwide. The guards remain recommended but not mandatory in the NHL.