Police issue update on man arrested over death of ice hockey player slashed in throat during game

Police have issued an update on the arrest of a man following the death of ice hockey player Adam Johnson last year.

The Nottingham Panthers player suffered a fatal neck injury after a collision with a Sheffield Steelers player.

Johnson, who was slashed in the neck by an ice hockey blade, was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead, with a post-mortem confirming that he died of a neck injury.

South Yorkshire Police announced an investigation into Johnson's death, and later arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the incident.

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Now, the force has provided a fresh update.

They have confirmed that a man, who was initially arrested in November, has been re-bailed until November 11.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: "Our investigation is ongoing, and our thoughts remain with Adam's family.

If there are any developments in the investigation ahead of the new bail expiry date, these will be issued proactively on the South Yorkshire Police website."

Johnson was in his first season with the Nottingham Panthers at the time of the incident, having signed for them in August 2023.

Born in Minnesota, Johnson had previously played in the NHL for Pittsburgh Penguins.

After being undrafted, the Penguins signed the ice hockey forward in 2017 on an entry-level contract and he subsequently played 13 regular season games for them between 2018 and 2020 before embarking on a career in Europe.

In December, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that it would be making neck guards mandatory for all levels of competitions that it runs, including the Winter Olympics and world championship events.

The English Ice Hockey Association (EIHA) took a similar stance, although the Elite Ice Hockey League - which Johnson was competing in - stated that it would not make neck guards mandatory, but 'strongly encouraged' players to wear them.