English police have “arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter” in the death of Minnesota native Adam Johnson, who died after his throat was slashed by the skate of Sheffield hockey player Matt Petgrave on October 28.
Johnson, 29, was playing for Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in the Elite Ice Hockey League at the time of the incident. Police did not identify the individual they had taken into custody.
“Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” South Yorkshire Police Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in the a press release.
“We have been speaking to highly specialized experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation,” Horsfall continued.
“Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world. We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process. Our thoughts remain with all affected by this devastating incident as enquiries continue.”
Johnson grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota where he was a high school hockey star. He played two years of hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and later played in the NHL and in the American Hockey League before his latest journey on the ice in Europe.
Sean Avery, who played in the NHL for over a decade, said on “Jesse Watters Primetime” that footage of the incident shows Petgrave was “absolutely” trying to make contact with Johnson in some way, but said the player was not trying to “murder” someone.
“Did this kid make a move that was very unorthodox? Do I think he was trying to make contact of some sort? Absolutely,” Avery said of Petgrave. “Do I think he woke up and said I’m going to murder somebody today? No.”
“I saw the hit … I saw the leg move,” he continued. “It shouldn’t have been where it was. It’s terrible. I can’t even watch the video back.”
Avery emphasized that the footage is “terrible” and “tough to watch,” and seemed to push back when Watters suggested the play could have been “homicide.”
“That’s a pretty dangerous word to be throwing around,” Avery said.
“I’m not saying it was premeditated murder, but they do have reckless homicide, negligent homicide,” Watters argued. “When you’re throwing a blade, as you said, that’s dangerous up to someone’s neck in a hockey move that no one’s ever seen before. I don’t like it.”
Former NHL player Chris Therien reacted to the incident, too, posting on X, “After seeing the incident involving Adam Johnson, that Bush league needs to shut down for investigation immediately.”
“I was literally appalled and sickened by what I saw,” Therien added. “It looked intentional. It was a Kung fu kick. My eyes are not lying tell me I’m wrong.”
Johnson’s fiancée, Ryan Wolf, was reportedly at the game and witnessed the injury. She ran onto the ice after the collision. “My sweet angel,” Wolf wrote in the post honoring Johnson via Instagram. “I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this article.
Related: ‘Sickened By What I Saw’: Pro Hockey Players Weigh In On Adam Johnson’s Fatal Collision