The hockey world has erupted in a heated debate about whether the bladed kick that fatally slashed Adam Johnson’s neck was an accident or intentional. The former Pittsburgh Penguins player, 29, is dead after his neck was slashed by the skate of Matt Petgrave during a hockey game in England Saturday night. Johnson, playing for the Nottingham Panthers, carried the puck past the blueline when he was intercepted by Petgrave of the Sheffield Steelers, who lifted his leg into a high kick that collided with Johnson’s jugular. Johnson got up and attempted to skate to the bench when he lost consciousness. Blood covered the ice and his jersey. .The game ended abruptly with officials asking the 8,000 fans inside the packed Sheffield stadium to leave. Johnson was treated on the ice as players from both teams formed a protective circle around him until screens were erected. He was then rushed to the hospital, where he died. South Yorkshire Police were called at 8:25 p.m. local time and reportedly remained on-scene until Sunday morning. Johnson's girlfriend, Ryan Wolfe, has since posted a tribute to the athlete on her Instagram stories, writing that she will forever love and miss her “sweet sweet angel.” Petgrave, who had the most penalty minutes in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the 2022-2023 season, is suspended indefinitely while law enforcement investigates the death. The fatal slash was immediately called a “freak accident” by legacy media, earning substantial blowback on social media by a flood of voices arguing this was “no accident.” .UNEWS (@UNEWSworld) posted the news to Twitter (“X”), calling the throat slash an “accident” that was the result of a “collision” with an opponent. However, the video footage clearly shows Petgrave lifting his leg to Johnson’s neck, intentionally or not. “IT WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT,” a Twitter user by the name of Christopher (@Cee_Dubbbs) wrote in the comments. “How is this an accident? Straight up gaslighting us. Dude took a flying kick with a bladed foot,” said Zach (@znmead. “Not an accident, that was a deliberate kick. The gaslighting on this. watching hockey since as far back as I can remember, it's the kicking out motion for me that screams it's not an accident,” said Goodbyecruel.wrld (@fluxfluxfluxy).“He was murdered,” said Jefferson (@JGDYKWIM).“This was a LYNCHING,” said Hamilton Fun Facts (@HamiltonFunFact).“That was Manslaughter not an accident!” said MJQ (@AnTsraidArd).“Not a hockey move, defenseman needs to suspended and the entire play has to be criminally investigated for wrong doing, the fact is the kick was deliberate with the intent to injure,” said Marius Pistin (@marius2415)..Meanwhile, the Greg Hill Show got pushback from suggesting on the podcast it might not be an accident. Comments on the post are mixed, with some people thinking the comments were "insensitive" and others pointing out that the video is "exactly what it looks like, murder.".There has been no event like it since 1989 when goalie Clint Malarchuk nearly died while in net for the Buffalo Sabres on March 22, 1989. Malarchuk’s neck was sliced by a skate blade against the St. Louis Blues. He survived and was miraculously back on the ice within 10 days.
