Man arrested in connection with death of ice hockey player rebailed

Tributes were paid to Adam Johnson during a memorial game at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham (PA)

A man arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson has been rebailed, police said.

Mr Johnson died on October 28 last year after being hit in the neck by an opposition player’s skate during a match at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena.

The 29-year-old American, who was playing for Nottingham Panthers against Sheffield Steelers, died in hospital.

Adam Johnson Memorial — Adam Johnson’s death shocked the sport of ice hockey (Zac Goodwin/PA)

Mr Johnson’s death shocked the ice hockey world, especially as the incident was witnessed by thousands of fans at the arena in Sheffield.

A man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter in November and then bailed by South Yorkshire Police.

On Friday, the force said in a statement: “A man who was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson in Sheffield has been rebailed.

“Adam, aged 29, was seriously injured during a game between the Sheffield Steelers and Nottingham Panthers on October 28 last year.

“He was sadly later pronounced deceased in hospital. A post-mortem examination confirmed he died as a result of a neck injury.

“On November 14, a man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and later bailed. Today, he has been rebailed until April 25 2024.”

The statement added: “Our investigation is ongoing and our thoughts remain with Adam’s family at this time. If there is any update on the progress of the investigation ahead of the new bail expiration date, this will be issued proactively on the South Yorkshire Police website.”

Last month, Sheffield’s senior coroner, Tanyka Rawden, suspended her investigation while the police inquiry took its course.

Despite the inquest opening in November being very brief, it emerged later that Ms Rawden had issued a Prevention of Future Deaths Report to Ice Hockey UK and the English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) about the use of neck guards in the sport.

In the report, the coroner said she is “sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn”, with the bodies given 56 days to say what action has been taken – or why action has not been taken.

Neck guards have been mandatory in the Elite League (EIHL), in which the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers compete, since January 1.

This followed the International Ice Hockey Federation’s decision in December to mandate the use of neck laceration protectors for its competitions.