- Hockey player Adam Johnson tragically died during a game on October 28
- Johnson’s neck was cut open after colliding with Matt Petgrave on the ice
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
A video from more than a dozen years ago has surfaced showing Matt Petgrave performing a similar illegal act to the one that resulted in the death of Adam Johnson last Saturday.
Johnson was killed during an Elite Ice Hockey League game in England when his throat was slit by Petgrave’s skate after impact. His death on October 28 remains under investigation by South Yorkshire Police.
Now, The clip appears to show Petgrave throwing his left elbow and right hind leg at an opponent, causing him to spiral through the air and strike the ice neck and upper back first.
The incident appears to have taken place during Petgrave’s first season in the Ontario Hockey League, when he played for the Niagara IceDogs. Both players involved appear to walk away from the collision without injury.
The video is said to be from 2009 or 2010, which explains the grainy quality, but the player in black wearing jersey No. 26 is said to be Petgrave.
An old footage of what is believed to be Petgrave raising his leg upon impact appeared on X (twitter)
Petgrave is listed on the Canadian Hockey League’s official website as the No. 26 prospect for the Niagara IceDogs during the 2009-2010 season.
The clip can be traced back to the OHL based on the image shown during the replay.
The two teams playing in the game can also be identified as the IceDogs and the now defunct Plymouth Whalers based on the score during the live recording.
The player who gets the illegal hit, No. 27 for the Whalers, would be Robbie Czarnik. Both Petgrave and Czarnik’s names can be heard on the broadcast.
Both Czarnik and Petgrave have never played in the NHL.
Petgrave’s incident with Johnson seemed significantly worse than the video above of a reportedly 17-year-old Petgrave.
“Did this guy make a very unorthodox move? Do I think he was trying to make contact somehow? Absolutely,” former NHL player Sean Avery said earlier this week. “Do I think he woke up and said, ‘I’m going to kill someone today?’ No.’
Local police in England issued a statement on Tuesday saying that ‘due to the complex nature of this tragic and unprecedented incident, the wider investigation is likely to take some time.’
Adam Johnson’s neck was sliced open in a collision with Matt Petgrave on October 31
Nottingham Panthers fans started a memorial service for Johnson following his tragic death
The OHL goal above would likely have called for a knee penalty in the NHL. The above video does not show any discipline.
In the NHL, a knee violation can range from a two-minute penalty to an ejection with a possible suspension. Based on the severity of the contact in the video allegedly involving Petgrave, he would likely serve a multi-match suspension.
Following Johnson’s death, the English Ice Hockey Association, which oversees English and Welsh hockey below the level where Petgrave and Johnson played, announced a mandate for neck protectors from 2024.
Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie wore a neck brace during Thursday’s game against the New York Islanders.