No criminal charges filed in death of former NHLer Adam Johnson

Matthew Petgrave, the player who was arrested after his skate cut former NHLer Adam Johnson’s neck during a game, will not face criminal charges.

The Crown Prosecution Service, which prosecutes cases in England and Wales, confirmed the decision on Tuesday. Johnson’s neck was cut by Petgrave’s skate during an EIHL game between the Sheffield Steelers and the Nottingham Panthers back on Oct. 28, 2023. Johnson’s team, the Panthers, called the incident a “freak accident” at the time.

Petgrave was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter a month later and was released on bail while the investigation occurred. According to reports, the CPS received the case from the local police in May of 2024 and spent close to a year reviewing it before deciding against charges.

Johnson, who passed away at 29 and left behind a fiancée, played 13 games in the NHL and was honored by his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, with a cheer from the PPG Paints Arena faithful on Oct. 30.

Petgrave, 32, has not returned to game action since the incident.

“This was a shocking and deeply upsetting incident,” said deputy chief crown prosecutor Michael Quinn in a statement. “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.”

Johnson was never drafted to the NHL but garnered attention from the Penguins after a two-year run at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. From there, he became a fixture with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he had a career-high 43 points in 67 games in 2018-19.

The Minnesota native would bounce around the AHL until 2022, when he signed a one-year deal to play with the German league team Augsburger Panther. He had seven points in seven games with Nottingham prior to his passing.