Investigators in England arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter more than two weeks after the death of Adam Johnson — a former Minnesota Duluth hockey player from Hibbing who died after his neck was cut by another player's skate during a game in late October.
Johnson, 29, playing for the Nottingham Panthers, was carrying the puck into the offensive zone on Oct. 28 when Sheffield Steelers defenseman Matt Petgrave's skate blade slashed below his helmet. Johnson dropped to the ice and was later helped off by a teammate, his jersey and the ice both bloodied. Johnson died at the hospital — the result of the fatal neck injury.
The man who was arrested was released on bail Wednesday, English authorities said.
"Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances," detective chief superintendent Becs Horsfall said Tuesday in a news release from South Yorkshire Police.
"We have been speaking to highly specialized experts in their field to assist in our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation," according to the Police Department.
They did not name the suspect, who is in custody — though it was Petgrave's blade that hit Johnson.
Davey Johnson, the late player's father who lives in Hibbing, did not want to comment on the investigation.
The Elite Ice Hockey League game was called off after Johnson left the ice, and the 8,000 fans in the arena were cleared. Soon after, the league recommended neck protection for players, but didn't require it. USA Hockey "strongly recommends" the protectors, but few players use them.