On October 28, 2023, the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers were involved in what seemed like a typical hockey game. The teams were battling it out in a closely fought and aggressively played match. However, in the second period everything changed, and a hockey game turned into a crime scene.
In that moment, Nottingham’s Adam Johnson was skating with the puck on a path to the goal while Matt Petgrave, a player on Sheffield, simultaneously collided with one of Johnson’s teammates. During the collision, Petgrave’s leg lifted into the air, slashing Johnson’s neck, which was unprotected by any padding. The ensuing gash to Johnson’s throat was quite severe. He was immediately rushed to the hospital but sadly, all attempts to save his life failed, and Johnson later died.
The violent event shocked sports fans across the world, and as people viewed video of the event, they began to question whether it was an accident or if it was intentional on Petgrave’s part. Eventually law enforcement got involved, and on November 14, 2023, Matt Pettgrave was in fact arrested for the death of Adam Johnson. He was charged with manslaughter, and while he was released on bail, the investigation continues and he may ultimately face trial.
Unfortunately, that will not bring Johnson back, but after his tragic death he was celebrated as both a phenomenal hockey player and a wonderful young man. During college he led his team, Minnesota-Duluth, to the National Title game, where they fell to Denver in a close matchup. After that, he was signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he played for two years, appearing in multiple NHL games. During Covid, he went overseas to play in Europe, playing for the Malmo Redhawks, Nottingham Panthers, and the Augsburger Panther.
This incident greatly affected the hockey community and raised questions about safety across all hockey leagues. In fact, since the event, many leagues are now requiring neck guards to be part of a player’s standard equipment. The shock and sadness from Johnson’s death on the ice has continued to impact many people, but hopefully, the changes being made to the game will prevent something like this from ever happening again.