SHEFFIELD — Senior coroner Tanyka Rawden opened a preliminary inquest hearing in Sheffield into the death of Nottingham Panthers ice hockey player Adam Johnson, who died in October 2023 after being struck in the neck by an opponent's skate. Johnson's mother, Sue Johnson, and his fiancee, Ryan Wolfe, joined the hearing on a video link from the United States.

"I'm sorry that we are meeting in these circumstances. I cannot imagine what life has been like for all of you since Adam died. It must have been horrific for all of you." Rawden said at the opening of the hearing.

Johnson was playing for the Panthers against the Sheffield Steelers in an Elite League fixture at Sheffield Arena when he was hit in the neck by the skate of opposing player Matt Petgrave. He died in hospital following the incident.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided last year that it would not bring criminal charges against Petgrave. Michael Hayton KC told the hearing his client is currently in Canada.

Rawden said she had planned to call Petgrave and nine other players from the match to give evidence, but added that this was under review. She was told none of those players are currently in the UK.

The coroner set the scope of the inquest to focus on the cause of the injury, the medical provision at the arena, and the timeliness and appropriateness of the medical care provided to Johnson. She said she had questions about how Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics accessed the ice and about the availability of blood to the attending paramedics. One paramedic said they had to climb over the barriers because nobody could show them onto the ice.

She said her investigation had to be paused until the police inquiry concluded last year, and that it was unlikely the inquest would take place this year. The inquest is currently expected to last between four and six weeks. She said she would later decide whether it needs to be moved from Sheffield and whether the jury would benefit from a visit to the arena.

The coroner has issued a prevention of future deaths report to Ice Hockey UK and the English Ice Hockey Association about the use of neck guards in the sport. In the report, she said she was sufficiently concerned that deaths may occur in the future if neck guards or protectors are not worn, and gave the bodies 56 days to say what action had been taken or why action had not been taken. Neck guards have been mandatory in the Elite League since 1 January 2024. A provisional date for another pre-inquest review was set for 29 October.