Adam Johnson ice hockey death: Police arrest a man on suspicion of manslaughter over ice hockey death

American hockey player Adam Johnson died during a game in England when he suffered a slashed neck. Photo / AP

A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of American ice hockey player Adam Johnson, after his neck was cut during a match in England last month.

Johnson, who appeared in 13 NHL games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019 and 2020, was playing for the Nottingham Panthers in a Challenge Cup game against the Sheffield Steelers when he suffered the skate cut during the Elite Ice Hockey League contest.

South Yorkshire Police have arrested a man who remains in custody.

“We have been carrying out extensive inquiries to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances,” a statement by South Yorkshire Police said.

“We have been speaking to highly specialised 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.

“Adam’s death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world.”

Family, friends and former teammates gathered last week to celebrate the life of the 29-year-old - a former Hibbing High School, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Penguins and Nottingham player.

“Adam was a joyful, kind human being. He had a quiet unselfishness about him, but he was a guy you wanted to be around all of the time,” said James Perunovich, a spokesperson for the Johnson family. “He didn’t have to say much. You were a better person as a result of meeting him.

“Everyone knew who Adam was. He wasn’t just a tremendous hockey player. He was a tremendous athlete. ... Everything he did, he excelled at.”

Johnson’s death has led to further discussions about cut-resistant protection in the NHL and other leagues.

“He was a great player,” Scott Pionk, also a family spokesman, said. “I’ll remember him flying around in high school with his jersey flapping behind his back. We see enough hockey players come through here that if you’re not a great guy, that part has to stay for the rest of your life. The hockey part is going to go away. We have to keep them humble. Hibbing did a great job with him. He was a great young man.”

Perunovich said Johnson’s family is handling things the best they can.

“Everybody is feeling the same,” Perunovich said. “I don’t think the words are as important as the emotions. We had people come in from all over the world here with their hugs and tears.

“We’re hurting bad up here right now. It’s going to take awhile. Nobody can understand it, but maybe God needed him more than we did.”

- With AP