OT: No Charges Against Matt Petgrave in Death of Adam Johnson

[SRV1990]

"No criminal charges will be brought against a professional ice hockey player arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following the death of Adam Johnson.

The Nottingham Panthers player, 29, died after suffering a neck injury from a skate during a collision with Sheffield Steelers' Matt Petgrave on 28 October 2023."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2wkl17d7o

[smilinjoefission]

This was like in baseball when you would throw your leg out to try and break up a double play. Did he mean to hit him in the neck with his leg/skate and kill him? Probably not. Did he mean to hit him with his leg/skate? 100% yes.

[seattleblue]

It doesn't even matter slightly to me that he wasn't "trying to kill the player" if he was trying to kick his skate at the player's head and a foreseeable event then occurred. That's manslaughter. That person I don't think should get to walk around free. What a gross piece of [shirt] Matt Petgrave is.

[dhsux]

This was like in baseball when you would throw your leg out to try and break up a double play. Did he mean to hit him in the neck with his leg/skate and kill him? Probably not. Did he mean to hit him with his leg/skate? 100% yes.

I mean you correctly indicted him right there.

This is wrong imo and likely "smoothed over" because it was done in sports which should not matter.

[SRV1990]

This was like in baseball when you would throw your leg out to try and break up a double play. Did he mean to hit him in the neck with his leg/skate and kill him? Probably not. Did he mean to hit him with his leg/skate? 100% yes.

Obviously it's very difficult to determine intent, as you stated above re: did he intend to hit him in the neck, etc. But if he purposely swung his leg in that manner, it would seem like charges of some sort were warranted.

[STL fan in MN]

The video we have is obviously very low quality but I’m just not seeing any definitive proof he purposely stuck his leg out. I’d say it’s certainly possible but having played the game, this is what I see as a bit more likely: Petgrave is lining up to blow up Johnson at the blue line. He’s aiming for a big hit. He somewhat “hides” behind Johnson’s teammate and his teammate in the vicinity. Johnson’s teammate sees what Petgrave is trying to attempt and moves a bit to his right to slightly interfere with Petgrave. This ends up being the fatal butterfly effect as he bumps into Petgrave right as he’s getting ready to unload from his crouch, clipping Petgrave in the left hip. Petgrave getting clipped combined with him releasing all the energy from his crouch sent him absolutely reeling, with his leg flying out of control…and Johnson’s neck met his skate right and precisely the wrong moment.

That’s what I see anyway. Absolutely tragic. Prayers to Johnson and I feel for Petgrave too as he has to live with that now. Has to be traumatizing for all involved.

[Wattage]

It doesn't even matter slightly to me that he wasn't "trying to kill the player" if he was trying to kick his skate at the player's head and a foreseeable event then occurred. That's manslaughter. That person I don't think should get to walk around free. What a gross piece of [shirt] Matt Petgrave is.

He wasnt tryong to kick at head, he was trying to kick leg around chest area(not with blade) to obstruct. Henhad a history of swinging hos leg up to obstruct and trip players a lot. But something knocked him off balance doing itnand he swing his leg way higher than intended.

Inthink its manslaughter ciz swinging your leg is a reckless play and you can get manslaughter for accidentally killing someone by reckless driving, but either way, i think his life and career is already ruined. He will get sued in civil court and found liable there. Ultimately jail time for him wkuldnt have brought the guy back anyway and he isnt walking away happy or scotfree from this incident

[Wattage]

The video we have is obviously very low quality but I’m just not seeing any definitive proof he purposely stuck his leg out. I’d say it’s certainly possible but having played the game, this is what I see as a bit more likely: Petgrave is lining up to blow up Johnson at the blue line. He’s aiming for a big hit. He somewhat “hides” behind Johnson’s teammate and his teammate in the vicinity. Johnson’s teammate sees what Petgrave is trying to attempt and moves a bit to his right to slightly interfere with Petgrave. This ends up being the fatal butterfly effect as he bumps into Petgrave right as he’s getting ready to unload from his crouch, clipping Petgrave in the left hip. Petgrave getting clipped combined with him releasing all the energy from his crouch sent him absolutely reeling, with his leg flying out of control…and Johnson’s neck met his skate right and precisely the wrong moment.

That’s what I see anyway. Absolutely tragic. Prayers to Johnson and I feel for Petgrave too as he has to live with that now. Has to be traumatizing for all involved.

Theres clips from earlier games showing petgrave often stuck his leg up exaggeratedly about chest level.to interfere or block an opponent after getting hit(and not to hit them with the blade but just the leg to obstruct the player). He clearly didnt mean to actually kick his leg up that high. He might have tried to do his usual leg swing but fell off balance and accidentally.kicked his leg sky high.

At the very least intentional kick or not he most certainly wasnt trying to kick up there or endanger or maim johnson. He might be found liable in civil court. He probably wont play hockey again.

[STL fan in MN]

The video we have is obviously very low quality but I’m just not seeing any definitive proof he purposely stuck his leg out. I’d say it’s certainly possible but having played the game, this is what I see as a bit more likely: Petgrave is lining up to blow up Johnson at the blue line. He’s aiming for a big hit. He somewhat “hides” behind Johnson’s teammate and his teammate in the vicinity. Johnson’s teammate sees what Petgrave is trying to attempt and moves a bit to his right to slightly interfere with Petgrave. This ends up being the fatal butterfly effect as he bumps into Petgrave right as he’s getting ready to unload from his crouch, clipping Petgrave in the left hip. Petgrave getting clipped combined with him releasing all the energy from his crouch sent him absolutely reeling, with his leg flying out of control…and Johnson’s neck met his skate right and precisely the wrong moment.

That’s what I see anyway. Absolutely tragic. Prayers to Johnson and I feel for Petgrave too as he has to live with that now. Has to be traumatizing for all involved.

Theres clips from earlier games showing petgrave often stuck his leg up exaggeratedly about chest level.to interfere or block an opponent after getting hit(and not to hit them with the blade but just the leg to obstruct the player). He clearly didnt mean to actually kick his leg up that high. He might have tried to do his usual leg swing but fell off balance and accidentally.kicked his leg sky high.

At the very least intentional kick or not he most certainly wasnt trying to kick up there or endanger or maim johnson. He might be found liable in civil court. He probably wont play hockey again.

I’d love to see this clips from earlier games. It wouldn’t “prove” anything but it might change my perspective. Idk.

[Wattage]

The video we have is obviously very low quality but I’m just not seeing any definitive proof he purposely stuck his leg out. I’d say it’s certainly possible but having played the game, this is what I see as a bit more likely: Petgrave is lining up to blow up Johnson at the blue line. He’s aiming for a big hit. He somewhat “hides” behind Johnson’s teammate and his teammate in the vicinity. Johnson’s teammate sees what Petgrave is trying to attempt and moves a bit to his right to slightly interfere with Petgrave. This ends up being the fatal butterfly effect as he bumps into Petgrave right as he’s getting ready to unload from his crouch, clipping Petgrave in the left hip. Petgrave getting clipped combined with him releasing all the energy from his crouch sent him absolutely reeling, with his leg flying out of control…and Johnson’s neck met his skate right and precisely the wrong moment.

That’s what I see anyway. Absolutely tragic. Prayers to Johnson and I feel for Petgrave too as he has to live with that now. Has to be traumatizing for all involved.

Theres clips from earlier games showing petgrave often stuck his leg up exaggeratedly about chest level.to interfere or block an opponent after getting hit(and not to hit them with the blade but just the leg to obstruct the player). He clearly didnt mean to actually kick his leg up that high. He might have tried to do his usual leg swing but fell off balance and accidentally.kicked his leg sky high.

At the very least intentional kick or not he most certainly wasnt trying to kick up there or endanger or maim johnson. He might be found liable in civil court. He probably wont play hockey again.

I’d love to see this clips from earlier games. It wouldn’t “prove” anything but it might change my perspective. Idk.

I forgot where i saw it, but i saw somewhere a compilation of patgrave doing hits like this.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AUySJkQl04s

Just dirty play tripping opponent with his leg. There was several plays like this they shlwed. Obviously this play diesnt even come close to neck level with skate. That was definitely an accident. He definjtely didnt mean to do that. If he was trying to use his leg to obstruct like he has a hjstory of doing. He definitely fell off balance causiing the high kick and most certainly wasnt trying to kick neck level.

Wither way whethernhebwas trying to play djrty or nkt, he definjteky didnt mean to do that and this definitely will impact rest of his life jailtime or not.