Manslaughter arrest in death of hockey player whose neck was cut with skate blade during game

FILE – Pittsburgh Penguins forward Adam Johnson in action during an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Police in England arrested a man Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023, on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, whose neck was cut by a skate during a game. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon, File)

LONDON (AP) — Police in England have arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson whose neck was cut by a skate during a game. Johnson, 29, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in an Oct. 28 game when he was struck by an opponent’s skate blade. South Yorkshire Police did not name the suspect or provide his age. He was in police custody. The player whose skate cut Johnson’s neck was Matt Petgrave, 31, who plays for Sheffield. Johnson was a Minnesota native who had a brief NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins.