England authorities arrested a man on Tuesday on suspicion of manslaughter after American ice hockey player Adam Johnson died from a skate blade cutting his neck during a game.
Johnson, 29, was struck by an opponent's skate blade in the Elite Ice Hockey League game between the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers on Oct. 28. Matt Petgrave, 31, was the other player involved in the incident.
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South Yorkshire Police have not named the suspect they arrested or provided his age, but he is in police custody, according to the Associated Press.
Videos of the incident show Johnson, on the Panthers, skating with the puck toward the Steelers net when Petgrave, on the Steelers, skates toward Johnson and collides with another Panthers player. Petgrave's left skate kicked up as he began to fall, and the blade sliced Johnson across the neck.
Johnson slowly goes off the ice, with videos showing his jersey covered in blood. He later died at a local hospital, and a post-mortem examination confirmed he died from a fatal neck injury, according to the South Yorkshire Police via BBC.
“Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive inquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said. "We have been speaking to highly specialized experts in their field to assist in our inquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation."
Johnson, a Minnesota native, appeared in a total of 13 National Hockey League games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
Horsfall said Johnson's death "sent shockwaves" through many communities at home and abroad. She urged members of the public to refrain from "comment and speculation which could hinder" the investigation.
Westin Michaud, a Panthers teammate of Johnson's, defended Petgrave for what he said was an "unintentional clip" that led to Johnson's injury.
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“The hate that Matt is receiving is terrible and completely uncalled for,” Michaud posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Oct. 30. “It’s clear to me his actions were unintentional and anyone suggesting otherwise is mistaken. Let’s come together and not spread unwarranted hate to someone who needs our support.”
At the Steelers's first home game since Johnson's death, the arena held a moment of silence for Johnson. Petgrave, who did not play in the game, received a standing ovation when his team photo appeared on the scoreboard, the Associated Press reported.