Former Comet will not face criminal charges in UK
The New York Times first reported on Tuesday, April 29 that The Crown Prosecution Service — an independent organization that prosecutes criminal cases in England and Wales — will not be seeking a conviction against Matt Petgrave, who was being held in England on suspicion of manslaughter. The organization received the case from police almost a year ago — in May 2024 — and has spent the subsequent year reviewing the case.
Petgrave was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a 2023 incident when he was playing for the Elite Ice Hockey League's Sheffield Steelers. In a collision with the Nottingham Panthers' Adam Johnson, Johnson suffered a cut to his neck, which led to his death.
Deputy chief crown prosecutor Michael Quinn told The Athletic in Petgrave's case 'there is not a realistic prospect of conviction for any criminal offence and so there will not be a prosecution.'
Petgrave was told to remain in the United Kingdom while the case was being investigated. In that time, his bail was extended eight times, most recently in February.
The incident has brought forth a flurry of regulations to prevent a repeat incident. After Johnson's death, a majority of hockey leagues — including the NHL, AHL and Elite Ice Hockey League — require all players to wear neck guards.
Petgrave spent parts of two seasons with the Comets, in 2018-19 and 2019-20. He also spent time with the Laval Rocket, Belleville Senators and Syracuse Crunch.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
The New York Times ranks the top 25 college football teams: Where is Clemson, opponents?
Less than two weeks remain until one of the most anticipated Week 1 schedules in recent college football history gets underway. While each season begins with marquee nonconference matchups and other top 25 showdowns, few have stacked up with this year's slate. On Aug. 30, preseason No. 1 Texas visits No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus for a noon ET kickoff. Alabama makes its first ever visit to Tallahassee to take on Florida State in the 3:30 p.m. window. Last but by no means least, No. 4 Clemson hosts No. 9 LSU in the prime time window at 7:30 p.m on ABC. "Week 0" in college football has already arrived, though, with the first official game of the 2025 schedule set for Saturday in Dublin, Ireland, at noon ET. No. 20 Kansas State faces No. 21 Iowa State in a matchup of top 25 teams in "Farmageddon." It's a fun time of year for both fans and media members alike when possibilities are seemingly endless (see: Indiana's College Football Playoff run a year ago and Florida State's 2-10 finish after a preseason top 10 ranking). With that caveat, The New York Times recently ranked the top 25 teams in college football entering 2025 (subscription required for full rankings). Chris Vannini of the NYT's sports hub, The Athletic, looked at the preseason frontrunners and used his instincts as a veteran college football voice to rank all 136 FBS teams from worst to first. Here's a look at the top 10 teams entering the season as ranked by Chris Vannini of The New York Times/The Athletic. 1. Penn State Nittany Lions For more coverage of Penn State, head over to Nittany Lions Wire. 2. Clemson Tigers 3. Texas Longhorns For more coverage of Texas, head over to Longhorns Wire. 4. Ohio State Buckeyes For more coverage of Ohio State, head over to Buckeyes Wire. 5. Georgia Bulldogs For more coverage of Georgia, head over to UGA Wire. 6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish For more coverage of Notre Dame, head over to Fighting Irish Wire. 7. Oregon Ducks For more coverage of Oregon, head over to Ducks Wire. 8. Arizona State Sun Devils 9. Alabama Crimson Tide For more coverage of Alabama, head over to Roll Tide Wire. 10. LSU Tigers For more coverage of LSU, head over to LSU Tigers Wire. Clemson football 2025 opponents ranked by The New York Times From best to worst, here's where Clemson's 2025 opponents were ranked among all 136 FBS programs by Vannini. ACC football teams ranked best to worst by The New York Times Clemson football schedule 2025 All announced start times Eastern. Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
The FIW staff picks who they believe will breakout on Notre Dame's defense this fall
After looking at who we believe will breakout on the Notre Dame offense, it is the other side of the ball that we'll focus on this time, the defense. There is some returning players who we know will play well like linebacker Drayk Bowen, but there are plenty of other names that will emerge this fall. The Irish have tons of young talent on this roster, and it wasn't easy to pick who will become the next Notre Dame star. The Fighting Irish Wire staff of Tim Healey, Dave Miller and Michael Chen pick who we each believe will breakout on Notre Dame's defense this fall. Tim Healey - contributor Leonard Moore already had a breakout year last year, but he could go to the next level in 2025. Moore proved himself as a freshman when he was thrust into a greater-than-planned role after an injury to Benjamin Morrison. If he can build on that, he might be as good as anyone we've recently seen in the ND secondary. Moore clearly has talent. Getting starter-level experience in his first year on the field should only help. Dave Miller - contributor Last season, Leonard Moore stepped up and broke out in a big way when the Fighting Irish secondary really needed it. New defensive coordinator Chris Ash is currently overseeing a healthy safety room, but that doesn't mean that enhancements won't be needed as the season wears on. One player in particular who stands out is Tae Johnson. Graduate transfer Jalen Stroman may be the likely starter at free safety, and he comes into the season with 36 games under his belt. But Johnson stepped up back in spring ball when Stroman missed time with an injury, showing some big play potential. Head coach Marcus Freeman said at his presser Sunday that he expects Adon Shuler, Luke Talich, Johnson and Stroman to all get reps at safety and that he does not know yet who will start. No matter what, Johnson has a chance to play his way into more time on the field, giving this defense even more depth as the Irish look to return to the College Football Playoff. Michael Chen - site lead It's hard not to try and pick someone out of Notre Dame's defensive backfield as a breakout since there are so many quality players in that unit, but I'm going to go with a linebacker here. Jaylen Sneed entered the program as a 5-star recruit, and while he has played well, he has yet to get elevated to a starting role. That looks like it's finally going to happen this fall, and I think he runs with the opportunity. There have been reports this fall about his great play, and he's entering his fourth-year in the program. I think it's pretty easy to see him getting close to 80 tackles, with 5 sacks and forcing a few fumbles. That would qualify as a breakout, as Sneed becomes a national name this fall. Don't forget about some of the young lineman as well, with Bryce Young, Boubacar Traore, and Loghan Thomas. They all could become stars this fall, as that unit has plenty of talent as well. Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Patrick Johnson makes his intentions for his second Eagles stint known
Patrick Johnson didn't come back to Philly with the intention of being released again. Really hoping Patrick Johnson makes the Eagles' roster. All he does is make plays when given an opportunity If the NFL preseason were an Olympic event, Patrick Johnson would have long earned himself a gold medal. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted him 234th overall during Round 7 of the 2021 NFL Draft, but during his first stint, he was relegated to special teams duty. It isn't like Johnson can't ball. He has shown he is capable of making plays when given opportunities, but he usually has fallen victim to the numbers game and being buried on the depth chart. On September 16, 2024, Philadelphia waived him, initially ending his time with the organization. The rival New York Giants picked him up one day later, but he has since come home, signing a one-year deal with the Birds on March 14. He's seemingly the same guy we remember. He's someone who makes plays whenever he steps on the playing surface, but is criminally undervalued and taken for granted. A Monday practice session that followed a Saturday afternoon preseason game was punctuated by select players meeting with the Philadelphia media. Matt Pryor, Jakorian Bennett, Mac McWilliams, and Johnson were all made available. Based on what we're hearing from Mr. Johnson, he has no intention of his second Eagles stint ending prematurely. The resume is well-known. He's a great special teams player who once saved the day vs. the Baltimore Ravens, stripping the ball during a quarterback sack. That set up Jake Elliott's go-ahead field goal. Elliott had missed a go-ahead attempt one play earlier. Johnson's effort was quickly forgotten because the game didn't count towards the win-loss total. This time around, we have seen him come up with more magic. In the preseason debut, he tipped an interception to himself. He stopped another play behind the line of scrimmage for an 11-yard loss in the second game. Fingers are crossed that Philadelphia keeps him. After all, the goal is always to put the best roster together, and there isn't another team in the NFL that has a guy this low on their depth chart with this much talent. Johnson has a Zack Baun quality to him. All he needs is a chance and a genuine opportunity. It's doubtful he won't prove himself worthy of recognition if he is given one. Regardless of what happens during final roster cuts, he won't earn much time playing on the Eagles defense. That means his opportunity probably won't come in Philadelphia, and that's a shame because the Birds truly have something special here.
