A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter over the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who died during a "freak accident" during a match. The 29-year-old suffered a slashed neck during the second period of the Challenge Cup game at Sheffield Steelers' Utilita Arena on October 28. The Nottingham Panthers player was taken to hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. The South Yorkshire Police arrested the suspect on Tuesday, more than a fortnight after the incident.
"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," Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a release posted on the police website.
"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," she is further quoted as saying.
The police detective also urged people to refrain from "comment and speculation which could hinder" the investigation.
The Panthers were playing against the Sheffield Steelers when the collision took place in the 35th minute of the game.
The death of Mr Johnson, who was from Minnesota in the US, sparked an outpouring of grief across the world.
More than 8,000 fans observed a moment of silence in tribute to him before the Steelers' 2-1 win against Coventry Blaze.
Mr Johnson played for Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League before spending the 2020-21 season in Sweden with the Malmo Redhawks.
He went on to play in Canada for the Ontario Reign and in Germany for the Augsburger Panther before agreeing to join Nottingham for the 2023-24 campaign.
