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Matt Petgrave, the man who was arrested on suspicion of killing after hockey player Adam Johnson’s death, will not face charges, British prosecutors said Tuesday.
The New York Post reports the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to charge Petgrave involved in the tragic collision with Johnson during a Nottingham Panthers-Sheffield Steelers Hockey Games on October 28, 2023.
Petgrave’s skate shot Johnson’s throat during the collision, which eventually led to his death.
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Adam Johnson #47 from Pittsburgh Penguin’s skates against Carolina Hurricanes at PPG Paints Arena on March 31, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)
The South Yorkshire police arrested Petgrave two weeks after the incident, though they did not specify who it was in public. Then Petgrave published a crowdfunding appeal for legal fees and said he was the subject of a police investigation.
CPS explained their rationale for not charging Petgrave and calling the situation “a shocking and deeply disturbing incident.”
Adam Johnson’s horrible death leads English ice hockey association to mandate neck protection
“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,” said vice presidential crown lawyer Michael Quinn in accordance with the position.
“After a thorough police investigation and a comprehensive review of all the evidence from CPS, we have concluded that there is no realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal act and therefore there will be no prosecution. Our thoughts remain with Adam Johnson’s family and friends.”
Pittsburgh Penguins Left Wing Adam Johnson (47) looks at during the second period in the NHL game between Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche on October 16, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa. (Jeanine Leche/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
As the terrible incident took place, there was a debate on social media about whether Petgrave collided with Johnson on purpose. But Johnson’s teammates supported Petgrave, with someone who said there “is not a chance that it is conscious.”
The debate also triggered about hockey player protection on the ice, and the English Ice Hockey Association quickly mandated neck protection for all players.
The message came two days after Johnson’s accident when the neck protection was mandated from 2024.
Johnson played 13 games in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons for Pittsburgh Penguins, who honored him at the time of his tragic death.
Matt Petgrave #26 of Laval Rocket is skated during the warm-up against the Belleville senators ahead of the AHL game at Place Bell on February 14, 2018 in Laval, Quebec, Canada. Laval Rocket defeated Belleville Senators 3-2. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
“Pittsburgh Penguins joins the whole hockey world in the grief of Adam Johnson’s life, whose life tragically ended too soon,” the team said in a statement. “We offer our deepest compassion to Adam’s family and friends as well as the whole of Adam’s past and current teammates and coaches. Adam will always be part of the Penguins family.”
