Man Arrested for Death of Former NHL Player Adam Johnson Won't Face Charges
Doric Sam
Apr 29, 2025
A man who was arrested following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson will not face charges, British prosecutors announced Tuesday, per the Associated Press.
The man was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter several weeks after Johnson died during a Nottingham Panthers game in England on Oct. 28, 2023, after a skate blade slashed his neck during an on-ice collision. Sheffield Steelers defenseman Matt Petgrave was also involved in the collision.
While South Yorkshire Police never publicly identified the man arrested in the matter, the Associated Press noted that Petgrave said in a crowdfunding appeal for legal fees that he was the subject of a police investigation. He reportedly "had been re-bailed several times while the investigation took place."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced Tuesday that the man arrested won't be charged in what was described as "a shocking and deeply upsetting incident."
"The CPS and South Yorkshire Police have worked closely together to determine whether any criminal charges should be brought against the other ice hockey player involved," Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Michael Quinn said. "Following a thorough police investigation and a comprehensive review of all the evidence by the CPS, we have concluded that there is not a realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offense and so there will not be a prosecution. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Adam Johnson."
Johnson played 13 NHL games for the Pittsburgh Penguins between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons. He was in his first season with Nottingham as one of the "import" players in the Elite Ice Hockey League following stints in Germany.
Following Johnson's death, there was a debate across the sport over improving the safety of hockey players. The English Ice Hockey Association began requiring all players in England to wear neck guards starting in 2024.
Updated 2025 NHL Playoff Bracket, Schedule and Top Highlights from April 28
Scott Polacek
Apr 28, 2025
Monday was a lighter slate in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs with just two first-round games, but there was plenty on the line.
In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers had the opportunity to seize full control of their series against the Tampa Bay Lightning by taking care of business at home in Game 4. A win would mean a 3-1 series lead, while a loss would mean everything was tied heading back to Tampa Bay.
In the Western Conference, the back-and-forth series between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars hit a major turning point with Game 5 after the two teams split the first four contests.
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Here is a look at how it all unfolded.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Results: Monday, April 28
Game 4: Florida Panthers def. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-2 (Florida leads 3-1)
Game 5: Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs (Toronto leads 3-1), 7 p.m. ET
Game 5: New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes (Carolina leads 3-1), 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights (Series tied 2-2), 9:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings (Series tied 2-2), 10 p.m. ET
Florida Panthers def. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-2
What a difference 11 seconds can make.
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It seemed like the Lightning were going to even their series against the Panthers at two games apiece when they took a 2-1 lead into the third period and benefited from an offside call that wiped Florida's equalizer off the board.
And then chaos broke out.
Aaron Ekblad scored the tying goal with fewer than four minutes remaining before Seth Jones found the back of the net to take the lead for good a mere 11 seconds later.
Carter Verhaeghe put the game on ice with an empty-netter from there, and the sudden swing put the Lightning on the brink of elimination.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 18 of the 20 shots he faced to keep the Panthers within striking distance despite Tampa Bay goals from Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak.
That set the stage for the dramatic finish and a night the Florida crowd won't soon forget.
Dallas Stars def. Colorado Avalanche, 6-2
There was far less drama in the day's second game.
Dallas wasted no time setting the tone with a Wyatt Johnston goal within the first 10 seconds. It never relinquished the lead, which expanded to 2-0 after Thomas Harley's first-period goal and 3-0 when Mikko Rantanen found the back of the net early in the second period.
WYATT JOHNSTON SCORES OFF THE OPENING DRAW š¤Æ
First of the playoffs for him AND fastest playoff goal in franchise history (9 seconds) š pic.twitter.com/sxSozTyPOt
Colorado battled back with the next two goals (Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon) just for the Stars to immediately answer with goals from Johnston and Mason Marchment in the second period.
The 5-2 score held for much of the third period until Roope Hintz added the exclamation mark.
While there was no shortage of offensive fireworks in the contest, Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger stood strong for most of the game and turned away 27 of the 29 shots he faced. His presence was especially important in the third period as the home team protected its lead.
Now the Stars will look to close the series out on the road in Thursday's Game 6.
Lightning vs. Panthers Betting Odds, Player Props and Picks for April 28
Joe Tansey
Apr 28, 2025
The road team is 3-0 in the NHL first-round series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.
Florida lost Game 3 despite a 12-shot advantage in attempts on net.
The Panthers will pressure Andrei Vasilevskiyās net once again in Mondayās Game 4, and that leads to plenty of player prop opportunities from that side of the ice.
Andrei Vasilevskiy Over 26.5 Saves(-135)
Andrei Vasilevskiy was forced into 34 saves in Game 3.
That goes along with the trend at Amerant Bank Arena over the last two postseasons.
Vasilevskiy made 25, 34 and 33 saves in three away games versus the Panthers last postseason. Two of those three games, and Saturdayās Game 3, finished in regulation.
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There were six other occurrences last season in which Florida forced the opposing goaltender into at least 28 saves between their three other series with Boston, the New York Rangers and Edmonton.
Sam Bennett Over 0.5 Points(-115)
Sam Bennett was Floridaās most productive player in the offensive zone over the first three games.
Bennett contributed four points and put a team-high eight shots on the Tampa Bay net.
Itās easy to pick one of Floridaās more notable stars, like Matthew Tkachuk or Sam Reinhart, but Bennett just continues to produce.
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The second-line center has recorded a point in every game of the series. Heās dangerous as a scorer because of how many pucks he puts on net. Heās lethal as a passer as well with Tkachuk on his line at even strength and as a member of Floridaās second power-play unit.
Florida Moneyline(-148)
Floridaās postseason trend tells us that it will finish the game with more shots on goal than Tampa Bay.
The Panthersā recent history also tells us they are more likely to win at home. They are 9-5 on home ice since the start of last postseason.
Sullivan served as Pittsburgh head coach from the 2015-16 season through the end of the team's 2024-25 campaign, winning the Stanley Cup in each of his first two years with the team.
The Penguins missed the playoffs in 2025, ending the season with a 34-36-12 record.
Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh's general manager and president of hockey operations, thanked the 57-year-old as part of the announcement made by the team.
"On behalf of Fenway Sports Group and the Penguins organization, I would like to thank Mike Sullivan for his unwavering commitment and loyalty to the team and City of Pittsburgh over the past decade," Dubas said. "Mike is known for his preparation, focus and fierce competitiveness. I was fortunate to have a front-row seat to his dedication to this franchise for the past two seasons."
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Sullivan finished with a 409-255-89 record in 10 seasons with the Penguins, owning the most wins by a coach in team history.
Pittsburgh's win total has decreased in each of the past three seasons, though. The Penguins also haven't made a playoff appearance since their 2021-22 campaign, which resulted in a first-round defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers.
New York could be a potential future destination for Sullivan after the firing of Peter Laviolette on April 19.
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According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the Rangers "surely have already been backchanneling" to gauge Sullivan's interest in coming back to the team that he previously served as a assistant coach on from 2009-13.
As for the Penguins, they'll be on the hunt for a new coach as they attempt to rearrange the roster surrounding franchise icons Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet and Penguins assistant David Quinn will be among the candidates Pittsburgh will consider for Sullivan's replacement, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic.
When the Penguins attempt to end their playoff drought during the 2025-26 season, they'll do so with a new face behind the bench.
Updated 2025 NHL Playoff Bracket, Schedule and Top Highlights from April 27
Taylyn Hadley
Apr 28, 2025
The hunt for the Stanley Cup continued on an action-packed Sunday in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, featuring four first-round matchups.
In Game 4 of their series, the No. 4 seed St. Louis Blues faced off against the No. 1 Winnipeg Jets. Later, the No. 2 seed Carolina Hurricanes squared off against the No. 3 New Jersey Devils.
Also in Game 4 action, the No. 1 Washington Capitals faced the No. 4 Montreal Canadiens, while the No. 3 Los Angeles Kings took on the No. 2 Edmonton Oilers.
Hereās a breakdown of Sunday nightās results, upcoming matchups, and the biggest highlights from the action.
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Stanley Cup Playoffs results: Sunday, April 27
Game 4: St. Louis Blues def. Winnipeg Jets, 5-1 (Tied 2-2)
Game 4: Carolina Hurricanes def. New Jersey Devils, 5-2 (CAR leads 3-1)
Game 4: Washington Capitals def. Montreal Canadiens, 5-2 (WSH leads 3-1)
Game 4: Los Angeles Kings, 4-3 in OT (Tied 2-2
Stanley Cup Playoffs schedule: Monday, April 28
Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers, Game 4: 4:00 p.m. ET
Colorado Avalanche at Dallas Stars, Game 5: 6:30 p.m. ET
St. Louis Blues 5, Winnipeg Jets 1
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The Blues scored five straight goals after falling behind 1-0, overwhelming Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who couldnāt stop the Blues' offense in Game 4.
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Blues left wing Jake Neighbours recorded two goals and two assists, captain Brayden Schenn added one goal and one assist, Robert Thomas netted one goal and Justin Faulk chipped in with another goal. Goalie Jordan Binnington made 30 saves.
The series is tied 2-2 as the two teams head to Winnipeg for Game 5.
Carolina Hurricanes 5, New Jersey Devils 2
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Bouncing back from a Game 3 loss against the Devils, the Hurricanes opened the game with a goal in the first 52 seconds, thanks to winger Andrei Svechnikov during Game 4.
The Hurricanes built a 3-0 lead before the Devils managed to score their first goal of the game, but the comeback proved to be too little, too late.
Defensemen Brent Burns and Jacob Slavin each scored one goal, with Burns also adding an assist. Svechnikov netted a hat trick for the Hurricanes. Goalie Frederik Andersen made 6 saves before leaving with an injury, with Pyotr Kochetkov stepping in to make 14 saves in relief.
Leading 3-1, the Hurricanes can end the series at home on Tuesday with a Game 5 win.
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Washington Capitals 5, Montreal Canadiens 2
Neither team found the back of the net until the start of the second period, when Washington took a 1-0 lead. Trailing 2-1 entering the third, the Capitals rallied with three different players scoring.
The Capitals caught fire in the third period, netting four goals, including two from right wing Brandon Duhaime, to take Game 4.
Along with Duhaimeās two goals, left wing Andrew Mangiapane scored once, captain Dylan Strome tallied one goal and one assist and right wing Tom Wilson added a goal. Goalie Logan Thompson recorded 16 saves.
Washington could wrap up the series at home on Wednesday in Game 5.
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Edmonton Oilers 4, Los Angeles Kings 3 (OT)
In what was by far the most exciting game of the day, the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings went into overtime after Los Angeles held a 3-1 lead until just under eight minutes remained in the third period.
The Kings drew first blood just under halfway through the first period with a goal from left wing Trevor Moore, taking a 1-0 lead that would carry into the second period.
The Kings extended their lead to 2-0 before the Oilers responded with their first goal of the game.
Ultimately, it was Leon Draisaitl who won the game for Edmonton, scoring the game-winning goal while on the power play with just less than two minutes to play in overtime:
Right wing Corey Perry scored for the Oilers, and defenseman Bouchard added two goals as Draisaitl recorded a goal and three assists, Connor McDavid added two, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins chipped in one. Goalie Calvin Pickard made 38 saves.
The series now shifts back to Los Angeles, tied at two games apiece.
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk Reportedly Won't Be Disciplined for Hit on Jake Guentzel
Taylyn Hadley
Apr 27, 2025
Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will not face any further discipline for his hit on Tampa Bay Lightning's Jake Guentzel, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan.
The hit occurred during Game 3 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series on Sunday, with Tkachuk receiving a five-minute major penalty in the third period.
"According to sources, the NHL Department of Player Safety determined that was enough, considering Guentzel had recently touched the puck and Tkachuk didn't make contact with Guentzel's head," Kaplan reported.
The Department of Player Safety also determined that Tkachuk's hit was less forceful than the one delivered by Tampa Bay's Brandon Hagel on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2, per Kaplan. Hagelās hit resulted in a one-game suspension.
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Brandon Hagel has been suspended 1 games for interference on Aleksander Barkov pic.twitter.com/AvC0bdlT83
