No criminal charges will be brought against a professional ice hockey player arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of fellow player Adam Johnson.
Mr Johnson was playing for Nottingham Panthers against Sheffield Steelers when he was hit in the neck by Steelers player Matthew Petgrave’s skate in October 2023.
The 29-year-old American died in hospital and a post-mortem examination confirmed his cause of death as a neck injury.
On Tuesday, the Crown Prosecution Service decided it would not bring criminal charges against Mr Petgrave, who is Canadian.
He spent 17 months on bail after he was arrested in November 2023. Mr Petgrave was rebailed seven times by South Yorkshire Police as the investigation continued.
Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Michael Quinn described the incident as “shocking and deeply upsetting”.
“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.”
Mr Johnson’s death shocked the ice hockey world after being witnessed by thousands of fans at the arena in Sheffield.
In January last year, Sheffield’s senior coroner, Tanyka Rawden, suspended her investigation while the police inquiry took its course.
It emerged later that Ms Rawden had issued a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to Ice Hockey UK and the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) about the use of neck guards in the sport.
In the report, the coroner said she was “sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn”, with the bodies given 56 days to say what action had been taken, or why action had not been taken.
Neck guards have been mandatory in the Elite League (EIHL), in which the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers compete, since 2024.
This followed the International Ice Hockey Federation’s decision in December to mandate the use of neck laceration protectors for its competitions.
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