British police launched an investigation on Saturday night, which stays ongoing, into the demise of hockey participant Adam Johnson, who had his neck slit open by an opposing participant’s skate.
Throughout Saturday’s sport between the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers, the latter of which Minnesota native Johnson performed for, South Yorkshire police responded to studies {that a} participant had been “severely injured.”
“Officers attended the scene alongside different emergency providers and one man, aged in his 20s, was taken to hospital with severe accidents. Sadly, he was later pronounced deceased at hospital,” police mentioned in a Monday statement.
“Our officers stay on the scene finishing up enquiries and our investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident stay ongoing,” the assertion added. “We might encourage the general public to keep away from hypothesis relating to the incident whereas we proceed our enquiries.”
Johnson, who performed for the NHL’s Pittsburg Penguins earlier than transferring to the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in August, collided with opposing staff participant Matt Petgrave in the course of the sport, receiving a skate blade to the neck when Petgrave kicked his leg up.
Johnson instantly fell to the ice, with blood rapidly showing round him. Johnson was transported to a close-by hospital and was pronounced lifeless the following morning.
The Nottingham Panthers launched a press release early Sunday morning confirming his demise following the “freak accident.”
Whereas some have maintained that this was a freak accident on account of the usually tough sport, others have opined that it was an intentional assault by Petgrave.
One put up to Reddit learn, “should you severely suppose Matt Petgrave ‘murdered’ Adam Johnson, go f*ck your self. The man was balling his eyes out on the ice and within the dressing room and doubtless nonetheless is true now.”
The put up later added, “his foot clearly clipped the skate of one other participant inflicting him to lose steadiness, so even [if] he did kick his leg out, he had little or no management over the place his leg was going.”
“It was a deliberate low cost shot from a unclean participant with probably the most penalty minutes within the league,” wrote DC Draino.
Notably, this isn’t the primary demise to happen on account of one other participant’s blade. In 2022, a Connecticut highschool participant, tenth grader Teddy Balkind, was rushed to the hospital after his neck was slit open by a skate blade. He was pronounced lifeless on the hospital, in accordance with the New York Post.
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk suffered the same damage throughout a 1989 sport, however miraculously survived, in accordance with the CBC.
Florida Panthers participant Richard Zednik was additionally hit within the neck, slicing his carotid artery throughout a 2008 sport.
