Arrest Made in Ex-NHL Player Adam Johnson's Hockey Death

A man was arrested in England on suspicion of manslaughter in the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, according to the South Yorkshire (England) Police (per ESPN). The arrest comes a little over two weeks since police launched an investigation of the incident that led to Johnson's death on Oct. 28. The incident happened when Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in the Elite Hockey League when his throat was cut by a skate blade during a collision in a Champions Cup game in Sheffield, England against the Sheffield Steelers. 

It was confirmed that Johnson, 29, died from a fatal neck injury. The man, whose identity was not revealed, was released on bail Wednesday. "Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances," South Yorkshire Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said. "We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation."

Matt Petgrave, 31, was the player whose skate blade cut Johnson's neck. He plays for Sheffield and, according to the Associated Press, the video of the incident showed Johnson skating with the puck as Petgrave skated toward Johnson and collided with another Panthers player. Petgrave's skate kicked up as he began to fall, which led to the blade hitting Johnson in the neck. Johnson rose off the ice, but his jersey was covered in blood. He died at a local hospital. 

The incident has led to the discussion of cut-proof equipment in hockey. Rod Pasma, the NHL vice president of hockey operations, addressed the league's managers Tuesday regarding what options are available to players in terms of gear upgrades. "As it sits here today, there's plenty of options for the players to wear at any category, whether it be the neck, the wrist, socks, patches," Pasma said. "So, I think that [unknown] element of cut protection has disappeared, meaning if you think something's too hot [to wear], if you think it's too heavy, there's options for you to look at that'll fix those issues."