No criminal charges will be brought against a professional ice hockey player following the death of opponent Adam Johnson during a match in Sheffield in October 2023.
Nottingham Panthers player Johnson died after being wounded by the skate blade of Sheffield Steelers’ Matt Petgrave.
Police arrested Petgrave the following month, but warned it would “take some time” to investigate the “tragic and unprecedented” loss of life.
After months of detailed scrutiny of the evidence, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has now concluded there is no realistic prospect of conviction.
The sport was rocked internationally by the death of Johnson, who was from Minnesota in the US. He previously played in North America’s National Hockey League (NHL), featuring 13 times for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Panthers retired his No 47 jersey following a ceremony before their game with Fife Flyers in December 2024. Petgrave spent 17 months on bail after he was arrested. He was rebailed seven times by South Yorkshire Police as the investigation continued.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Michael Quinn said: “This was a shocking and deeply upsetting incident. 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 involved.
“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. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Adam Johnson.”
After Johnson’s death, the player’s aunt, Kari Johnson, told local Minnesota news station KSTP-TV that her nephew had been planning to propose to his partner, Ryan Wolfe. Ms Wolfe said: “I’ll miss you forever and love you always.”
Following his death, Sheffield coroner Tanyka Rawden wrote a prevention of future deaths report calling for neck guards in ice hockey to be made compulsory.
A month earlier, the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) announced that neck guards would be mandatory from 2024 onwards. However, elite leagues have resisted efforts to make them mandatory around the world.
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