Former Utica Comet Won’t Face Charges After Tragic Accident

Prosecutors in Great Britain say they will not charge Canadian EIHL and former Utica Comets hockey player Matt Petgrave with manslaughter in regards to the fatal collision on ice with opponent Adam Johnson, a former NHL player, on October 28, 2023. Johnson, who played for the Nottingham Panthers died shortly after colliding with Petgrave on ice when his neck was fatally sliced by a hockey skate blade.

Two weeks after the incident, Petgrave was arrested by South Yorkshire Police, although authorities wouldn't officially confirm who was actually arrested in the case. On Tuesday, the prosecution with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced that despite it being a "shocking and deeply upsetting incident" there "is not a realistic prospect of conviction for any crime."

Petgrave, who played two seasons with the Utica Comets from 2018 through 2020, was hit during a game in Great Britain, and his leg kicked out and his skate struck Johnson in the neck, creating a deep laceration that ultimately took his life. Over the last two years, police have been investigating whether Petgrave intentionally kicked Johnson during the incident.

Johnson's death has sent shockwaves through the hockey world with questions brewing of whether or not the kick was intentional, and if there's a need to require neck guards in the future. Johnson played 13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins and he also played the Utica Comets once in 2019 when he was a member of Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League. He was a native of Minnesota.

Petgrave, a Toronto native who played just 9 games with the Comets over two seasons, has played the last two years for the Sheffield Steelers of the EIHL in the UK. The EIHL (Elite Ice Hockey League) is the UK's top level hockey league. Petgrave also played part of one season with the Syracuse Crunch in 2018.

Johnson's team, the Nottingham Panthers, had called the incident a "freak accident," while some in the ice hockey community had described the tragedy as deliberate.

Since the incident, the English Ice Hockey Association pushed to make it mandatory for all players in England to wear neck guards. The rule was passed and was implemented at the start of the 2024 season.