A pre-inquest review into the death of an ice hockey player was heard today in Sheffield, marking the beginning of an extensive process to establish the circumstances of his death.

Adam Johnson suffered a fatal neck injury during a match between Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers in October 2023, he was 29-years-old.

Mr Johnson was playing for the Nottingham Panthers at Sheffield Arena when his neck was hit by the skate of Steeler’s player Matthew Petgrave.

Though Petgrave was initially arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, he was later released without charge.

During the hearing, Mr Johnson’s mother, aunt, and partner were present through a live video link from the United States.

Addressing his family, senior coroner Tanyka Rawden, said: “I cannot imagine what life has been like for all of you since Adam died, I am so sorry for your loss.”

During the hearing, Mrs Rawden said evidence she had seen from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics displayed a “chaotic scene at the arena”.

She told the hearing she had “a lot of questions about how Yorkshire Ambulance Service accessed the ice”.

Mrs Rawden said she also had questions about the availability of blood to the attending paramedics.

Mr Johnson’s death sparked debate around the safety of the sport and the introduction of mandatory neck shields for ice hockey players in the UK.

As it stands, players in the UK playing at the top level in the Elite Ice Hockey League do not have to wear the shields despite the introduction of regulation in junior leagues and recommendations from The English Hockey Association.

Despite pressure from concerned parties about the delay in proceedings, the inquest will not take place until 2027 due to previous police investigations and the locations of the witnesses called to give evidence.

Mrs Rawden said: “I am not going to rush this, I have to conduct a fair and fearless investigation, even if it takes time.”

A further pre-inquest review is set to take place on 29 October 2026.