Hit by a runner in the game
Arrest after gruesome death of professional ice hockey player
November 14, 2023, 9:00 p.m
The death of professional ice hockey player Adam Johnson causes bewilderment and great shock. The investigative authorities also become active. The English police report the arrest of a man. According to an official statement, he is suspected of manslaughter.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the death of former DEL professional Adam Johnson during a game in the British Ice Hockey Cup. This was announced by South Yorkshire Police in a statement provided to The Yorkshire Post newspaper. Police did not provide any information about the man’s identity. This means it remains officially unclear whether the person arrested is Johnson’s opponent.
Johnson, the former Augsburg Panthers professional, suffered fatal injuries on October 28 during a game between the Nottingham Panthers and the Sheffield Steelers. The 29-year-old American was hit in the neck by an ice skate blade during his team’s away game in Sheffield.
“We began an investigation immediately following this tragedy and have since conducted extensive investigations to piece together the events that led to Adam’s death in these unprecedented circumstances,” South Yorkshire Police Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in the statement quoted.
“Everyone should be safe at the next World Cup”
Johnson’s death sparked great sympathy and a security debate. Since then, several professional leagues have made it mandatory to wear neck protection. In the German Ice Hockey League, mandatory neck and neck protection will be required from January 1, 2024. The world association IIHF has also announced changes with a view to next year’s World Championships in the Czech Republic.
“Everyone should be safe at the next World Cup,” IIHF President Luc Tardif emphasized to Magentasport during the Germany Cup in Landshut. “But we didn’t want to do it in a hurry. Because you need good protection. We will do something and do it as quickly as possible.” The next Ice Hockey World Championships will take place from May 10th to 26th in Prague and Ostrava.
There is currently no fixed timetable as to when and what exactly the world association will decide. “We had a meeting with the medical committee and the referees. We tried to make decisions quickly,” said Tardif. “So we have to make sure that this protection has a guarantee. Then we have to organize the rules.”