2023-11-15 23:24:54
The shock wave still resonates on all the ice rinks around the world. On October 29, American Adam Johnson, aged 29, died following a serious neck injury caused by a skate blade during an ice hockey match in England. This Tuesday, November 14, Sheffield police took a man into custody as part of an investigation into “suspicion of manslaughter”. We take stock of this terrible tragedy which is also shaking up those involved in French hockey.
What happened ?
Saturday October 28, on the ice of the Sheffield ice rink in the heart of England, a clash pits the Steelers against the Nottingham Panthers. The locals, leaders of the professional championship, led 2-1 when, in the 34th minute of play, the match was stopped by the referees. In a trivial contact (called checking) between two players, the leg of one moves away and the blade of the skate violently strikes the throat of the other. An extremely rare accident in this sport where athletes are protected from head to toe, with the exception of areas such as the lower face or neck.
Seriously injured, Adam Johnson was evacuated to hospital, where he died a few hours later. His club announced his death the next day. Adam Johnson was 29 years old. He was born in Minnesota in the United States in June 1994 before having a modest career as a hockey player, passing through the big NHL (13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins) in 2019 and 2020 before joining Europe (Sweden, Germany or England).
Accident or manslaughter?
On Tuesday November 14, Sheffield police arrested a man as part of an investigation into “manslaughter”. According to British law, the authorities cannot release the name of the arrested person but, according to North American media, it is indeed Matt Petgrave, the Canadian player from Sheffield whose skate blade caused the fatal injury of ‘Adam Johnson. In the eyes of the law, this investigation is “normal”, informs the British police.
“Our investigation began immediately after this tragedy and we have since been carrying out an in-depth investigation to reconstruct the events which led to Adam’s death in these unprecedented circumstances,” details a spokesperson via a press release. The qualification of manslaughter is very precise in British law: the perpetrator must be found guilty of recklessness or criminal negligence. The investigation could last several weeks.
What are the reactions to the tragedy?
In England, the Nottingham matches have all been postponed for two weeks. The club is barely returning to its daily routine and is organizing a tribute this Saturday, November 18. But the entire world of ice hockey was affected. “There is a terrible effect of shock and solidarity,” sighs Éric Ropert, general director of the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG), today. As is often the case in these dramas, there is a feeling of belonging to a family which causes this state of mind when something serious happens. We also have a connection with the Nottingham coach, who is Jonathan Paredes (former coach of the Cergy Jokers for six years). There was a sort of astonishment. »
The nationalities of the victim (American) and the incriminated player (Canadian) also give immense resonance to this drama in North America, where hockey is king. His former club Pittsburgh paid a vibrant tribute to Adam Johnson a few days after his death. “The impact is enormous,” confirms Éric Ropert. Having spoken with Jonathan (Paredes), I know that the Nottingham club has received messages from all over the world. »
How can we better protect players?
Ice hockey players have a large number of protections (helmets, elbow pads, shoulder pads, gloves, etc.), most of which are mandatory. Almost the entire body is protected from a potential skate, with the exception of the lower face and neck. Mouth guards and neck guards exist but are not compulsory in England. Nor in France, moreover, beyond the under-20 category, or in the United States in the prestigious NHL.
In Europe, Sweden and Finland have made neck protection compulsory after a similar tragedy in 1995. As for Germany, it will become so from December 1st. “Our goal is to react very quickly,” says Éric Ropert. We must not forget that we are managing a sport where we must have fun and pleasure also involves safety. It’s a global problem. »
Jack Avery, an American player, wears a neck protector here, protection soon to be compulsory in France. Icon Sport/Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/Sipa USA
The FFHG has already stated: the neck protector will be compulsory from next season on all ice rinks in France. “The current problem is that we would like to make it compulsory as soon as possible but that stocks are lacking,” explains the general director of the federation. Some of the players already had it and handed it in, others bought the few copies in stock. But it may take several weeks, several months to get the 8,000 coins for all our players. We questioned the importers of the major brands of equipment and we estimate that we will be able to communicate within ten days on the deadline. »
Ice hockey has continued to evolve its safety rules, like a mechanical sport, in order to react to the growth of its practice, both in terms of participants and in terms of acceleration of the game and the athleticism of its players. “We have this constant question: Can other things be improved? »concludes Éric Ropert. A question unfortunately supported by the death of Adam Johnson.
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