'Took some but gave more': Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette fends off 6 'drunk golfers' in restaurant brawl



Former NHL player Paul Bissonnette fought six men who were allegedly intoxicated and harassing staff at a restaurant.

Bissonnette was known as a fighter during his six seasons in the NHL, and those skills were put to the test on Sunday night in a Scottsdale, Arizona, restaurant.

The 39-year-old did not go looking for a fight; rather, he was at his favorite spot, Houston's, that he says he visits a few times per week.

"The bar where I normally sit was packed. I sat in the dining area, and at one point, there was a bit of a ruckus going on in the bar," Bissonnette said in a video posted to X. "It was a bunch of drunk golfers. Things obviously continued to escalate. They asked one guy to leave, and then one guy kept getting in the manager's face, put his hands on him," Bissonnette said.

The physicality lasted about 30-45 seconds, the former player went on, explaining he soon went over and told the man they were "going to have problems" if he continued to harass the staff.

'I ate three kicks, one in the neck two in the head.'

Bissonnette elaborated on the story on his Barstool Sports podcast, "Spittin' Chiclets," where he revealed more details on what he said to one of the alleged aggressors.

"I walk over, I grabbed the guy's arm, I said, 'Listen, buddy, if you keep harassing and assaulting the staff here, we're going to go outside and have some problems.' The minute that left my mouth, the guy beside him starts throwing punches, and the next thing you know there was about four guys start swinging at me," he recalled.

"We're in the middle of the bar area, and we're just throwing," the hockey player continued. Bissonnette said while he was taking punches, his shirt was ripped, his shoes came off, and at one point he was even dropped to the ground and got "boot f***ed."

"I ate three kicks, one in the neck, two in the head," he continued. "I'll get their names, and this is gonna be a thing."

Scottsdale Police mostly corroborated Bissonnette's story in a statement to Fox 10 Phoenix, but did not comment on whether or not the men were intoxicated.

"There was an altercation inside the restaurant with six adult men and the management. Reportedly, Paul Bissonnette tried to help management calm the men and get them to leave. The situation escalated to the men assaulting Paul Bissonnette both inside and outside of the restaurant," Scottsdale Police Sgt. Allison Sempsis told the outlet.

The men have since been identified and charged with the following:

  • Danny Bradley, accused of misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct
  • John Carroll, accused of misdemeanor disorderly conduct
  • William Carroll, accused of two counts of misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct
  • Sean Daley, accused of felony aggravated assault, felony forgery, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct
  • Edward Jennings, accused of misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct
  • Henry Mesker, accused of misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct

Daley's felony charge is allegedly in regard to a possibly fraudulent military identification card that was reportedly found in his wallet.

Paul Bissonnette (right) punches Jared Boll of the Columbus Blue Jackets during a fight in the second period on March 16, 2013.Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

During his recollection, Bissonnette was particularly angered due to how respectful and talented he said the staff at the restaurant is.

"I'm very, very angry," he said, assuring the audience that surveillance video of the interactions would be released.

Always trying to find humor in the situation, Barstool Sports owner Dave Portnoy shared a text message from Bissonnette the day after the altercation.

"Just saw a story saying you got jumped. Are you okay?" Portnoy asked Bissonnette.

"Ya. Took some but gave more," the former fighter replied.

Portnoy called the response "vintage" Bissonnette.

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'He used the word Mennonite': Junior hockey player suspended 5 games for 'marginalizing' an opponent



A junior hockey player was suspended for five games for referring to an opposing player as a Mennonite and therefore violating the league's rules on provocation.

20-year-old Landon Sim of the London Knights was issued the five-game suspension for "marginalizing" an opponent on both "religious and cultural grounds," the Ontario Hockey League found.

The OHL is in the Canadian Hockey League, which is comprised of several leagues across Canada (Western, Ontario, and Quebec) and is considered the top-tier of junior hockey in the world.

On November 6, Sim was ejected with a game misconduct for his violation during a 5-1 win against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

"He used the word 'Mennonite,'" Sim's agent, Andrew Maloney, said, according to the London Free Press. "He was insulted by a player on the other team, just regular back-and-forth banter. Landon used the word toward him. I think it was just something he said without knowledge behind it," the agent added.

Maloney also called Sim's remarks "wrong and inappropriate" as well as a teachable moment, among other platitudes.

The OHL commissioner told the London, Ontario, outlet that a player may not use certain language to provoke another player, citing a series of prohibited language that includes: "Race, age, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability."

"This is a violation of the league's code of conduct and it carries with it a minimum suspension of five games," OHL commissioner Bryan Crawford said.

Sim's agent did not argue for his client on a free speech basis but rather that there should be "layers" to the type of discipline a player receives depending on the language they use.

"A player called a kid a monkey and got the same number of games (as Sim). Last season, a player told a kid he should go kill himself and got the same amount of games. There has to be layers to this rule. It's not a bad rule, but when it's interpreted in a one-size-fits-all category, it doesn't work," Maloney attempted to explain.

Landon Sim was drafted in the 6th round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues.Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

This is actually Sim's second suspension related to mean words in 2024.

In May, Sim was suspended five games for calling then-Saginaw Spirit captain Braden Hache a word that allegedly implied he was "soft."

Former OHL commissioner David Branch said at the time the remark was "an inappropriate comment under our diversity program," despite the league being seemingly too fearful to identify what the word was.

In response, Sim's agent claimed at the time that "there is no due process in the league."

All OHL players and staff are reportedly subjected to mandatory diversity policy training before each season.

Sim was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and has eight points the first 10 games of the 2024-2025 OHL season.

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NHL player Nazem Kadri recalls when coach Mike Babcock made player Mitch Marner cry: 'The whole point was to embarrass guys'



NHL forward Nazem Kadri claimed in his new book that when he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, he and a teammate confronted coach Mike Babcock for reportedly making one of the rookies cry.

The incident surrounds Maple Leafs player Mitch Marner during his rookie season with the Leafs in 2016-2017. According to Sportsnet, Kadri wrote in his new book, "Dreamer: My Life on the Edge," that Babcock got Leafs trainers to rank players based on their effort in the gym.

Based on those rankings, Babcock apparently approached Marner about his alleged laziness on and off the ice. The coach then asked Marner to create his own list ranking each of his teammates' effort levels. Marner apparently obliged, even putting his own name on the list.

Babcock then reportedly showed the list to both Kadri and teammate Tyler Bozak.

'You just don't do that to a rookie.'

According to HockeyFeed, and other outlets at the time, Marner cried over the incident.

"Marner was in tears after the details of his list were shared, while his teammates were furious," the Athletic's Ian Tulloch recalled.

Kadri, who played for Babcock for his entire coaching stint with the Leafs, said he and Bozak "stormed into Babcock's office and laid into him."

"He tried to defend what he'd done, to explain the thought process behind the exercise," Kadri wrote.

The center then claimed he and Bozak forced the coach to apologize.

"There wasn't much he could say, and in the end I think he realized he's made a mistake. After that he apologized to Mitch. We'd pretty much made him." He added, "You just don't do that to a rookie."

Babcock later denied many of the details in a 2021 interview, around a year after he left Toronto. While confirming that he was to blame for the incident, he called it "crazy" to suggest that he showed the list to other players as a psychological tactic.

Babcock specified that he met with Marner and told him to make a list but said that Bozak later accidentally saw it when he came into the coach's office. Babcock then said he asked Marner if he wanted him to straighten out the incident in front of the team, which he admitted he shouldn't have asked the young player about but said that rather he should have done it of his own accord.

Kadri, now with the Calgary Flames, saw it differently in his book:

"The whole point was to embarrass guys, and it made for some awkward conversations between the players and the training staff," the 34-year-old wrote. "Once you break that trust, it's hard to come back."

Babcock went on to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 but left just two months into the role. That stint wasn't without controversy.

During the "Spittin’ Chiclets" podcast, former NHLer Paul Bissonnette said that Babcock asked Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner if he could see the photos on Jenner's cell phone. Babcock then allegedly displayed the photos on his office wall.

Player Johnny Gaudreau, however, recalled a similar meeting with Babcock but described it as simply sharing aspects of his life with the coach.

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NHL legend Jaromir Jagr will play his 36th season in professional hockey at 52 years old; the oldest player of all time



Two-time Stanley Cup winner Jaromir Jagr says the 2024-2025 season will be the last of his career at age 52.

Jagr, who began playing professionally in former Czechoslovakia in 1988, will play his 36th season for the same club he started at, Rytiri Kladno in the Czech Extraliga.

After playing in the NHL from 1990-2018, Jagr moved back to the Czech Republic and played for Kladno for another five years. He is also the majority owner of that team, taking over from his father of the same name in 2011.

Then, in late 2022, Jagr was seemingly retired until his team was struck with an illness that took it down to just 12 players. Jagr decided to step out of the owner's box and lace up to avoid his team having to forfeit any games, and he ended up playing 26 games that season. He finished 2022-2023 with 14 points at age 50.

Adding to his legendary status, coming out of retirement actually delayed Jagr's eligibility to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Despite already being a member of the Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame since 2008 and the IIHF Hall of Fame since 2024, Jagr pushed back his eligibility for the more prestigious honor in order to rescue his team.

At 52, Jagr has announced it will be his last season, surpassing Gordie Howe as the oldest professional hockey player of all time. Howe was 52 years, 11 days old when he played his final NHL game in 1980.

Jagr's legend has only seemed to grow the older he gets.

In 2015, Jagr was reportedly the victim of a blackmail attempt after he was pictured in a bed sleeping next to a young Czech model. As Yahoo Sports reported, a social media user found the photo and attempted to extort 50,000 crowns ($2,000 USD) from the hockey player. Jagr allegedly told the person to do whatever they wanted with the photo because he didn't care.

'I'm going to try to deceive age and find out how I'm doing.'

Then in March 2024, Jagr was set to make an appearance in Pittsburgh where his jersey was set to be retired. Ahead of the appearance, 18,000 bobbleheads featuring Jagr's likeness were stolen from a loading bay in California.

The Pittsburgh Penguins confirmed at the time that the bobbleheads were indeed stolen, and it was not a publicity stunt.

However, Jagr immediately turned the heist into a hilarious marketing campaign where he went on a mission to rescue his figurines.

Jagr has the second-most points in NHL history with 1,921, and the fourth-most goals scored with 766. He played for nine different teams over 24 years in North America.

In 2015-2016, Jagr scored a shocking 27 goals and added 39 assists for the Florida Panthers at 44 years old.

He had another 16 goals the next year at 45.

The owner has continuously poked fun at himself while continuing to play at a high level.

"I'm going to try to deceive age and find out how I'm doing," he wrote on Instagram.

Jagr's final season kicks off September 18.

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FACT CHECK: Image Claims To Show ‘F*** Trudeau’ Signs At Hockey Game

An image shared on X claims to show signs that read, “f*** Trudeau” at a hockey game. This is the best thing I have ever seen. pic.twitter.com/7fwoxsQ7Uj — Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) June 25, 2024 Verdict: False The image has been digitally altered. The original post does not mention Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Fact Check: The […]

Professional Women's Hockey League has sports fans hoping other leagues will steal its unique opponent-picking rule



The Professional Women's Hockey League has garnered a respectable amount of fanfare in its first year in existence, but a unique playoff rule is grabbing the attention of fans across the world who want to see it implemented for their preferred league or sport.

The PWHL was hot out of the gates with more than 170,000 views on the livestream of its inaugural game in January 2024 and completed its six-team, 24-game season by early May.

Heading into the playoffs, fans are noticing a unique rule that allows the number-one seeded team to choose its opponent out of the last two playoff-qualifying teams.

While the PWHL can only make minimal use of the rule given that just four teams make the playoffs, it isn't hard to imagine this implemented in the NHL, NBA, or NFL, where teams would be seriously looking to avoid top-ranked teams in the first round of the playoffs.

Inversely, it would create a bit more competition at the top in order to gain the right to choose who to play in the first round. It could be tinkered with to allow a choice of any of the bottom-ranked teams, or perhaps simply any team that doesn't win its division.

PWHL Toronto has clinched the #1 overall seed in the playoffs and will get to choose their opponent!\n\n#PWHL | @PWHL_Toronto
— (@)

It would also be very insulting to a team that was picked, creating an immediate level of animosity between the two opponents.

In the PWHL, Toronto won the right to choose its opponent and went with Minnesota.

"Oh no, I see this being a very Toronto style outcome," a fan wrote on X.

The lore here is, of course, that Toronto sports teams have a way of failing in spectacular fashion, a prime example of that was showcased two days after the fan's comment.

The NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series against rival Boston Bruins. After winning two games to force a game seven, the Leafs went ahead in the third period for a little over a minute, only to be scored on and then quickly lose in overtime after a wild bounce of the puck.

Moments like this would be even more spectacular with the help of the playoff seeding rule.

Oh no, I see this being a very Toronto style outcome.....
— Kyle Bechtold (@kylebechtold3) May 2, 2024


One NHL fan suggested the new rule to long-time analyst Dave Hodge after the reporter was playing around with a few ideas of his own.

"To add more late-season NHL interest: Award 5 home games to division winners in the 1st playoff round, and 5 home games in every playoff round to the Presidents’ Trophy winners. Currently, the race for 1st overall finds 8 teams separated by 5 pts. Fun, no?" Hodge wrote.

"Allow seeding to order them to choose opponents in the playoffs," the fan replied.

@davehodge20 Like PWHL, allow seeding to order them to choose opponent in playoffs.
— (@)

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski disagreed with the rule and said that, through testing, it has usually resulted in the expected seeding. "I love 90% of the PWHL rule changes. Can't win 'em all," he wrote.

Picking your opponent is exciting in theory but whenever it's been tested, it usually results in the expected seeding.

The Gold Plan is just dumb but maybe works for a league with so few teams.

I love 90% of the PWhL rule changes. Can't win'em all.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) February 28, 2024

At the very least, the rule has done what the league has hoped and created intrigue and discussion around its style of play.

As of late, much of the internet was focused on the league's "diversity, equity, and inclusion." The league was pushing it so hard that a fan reported attendees at a game in Ottawa were directed to recite a diversity statement before the game as it was displayed on the video arena's video screen.

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Tampa Bay coach apologizes for 'an inappropriate analogy' after cries of sexism — says complaints hurt more than playoff loss



Coach Jon Cooper apologized for offending anyone who didn't like his analogy about treating NHL goaltenders softly, as if they were wearing "skirts."

The bench boss for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning said he was sorry for making relatively harmless remarks when he spoke about goals being called back in his team's playoff series against the Florida Panthers.

Multiple goals were disallowed due to goalie interference, and Cooper commented on the goals following the team's 6-1 loss that eliminated them from the playoffs.

"If anyone's going to talk about this game they're going to talk about the goals that were taken away," Cooper began. "In this league where goals are a premium and how all we've done is make the rules for more goal scoring, that's what we've done."

"Every year there seems to be something we tweak so more goals can be scored, and that's great. But, there's mandates and the words were to pull a goal off the board it has be unbelievably egregious. That's the standard to pull a goal off the board ... I couldn't find anything remotely egregious," the coach explained.

"Net front battles aren't allowed anymore? The boxing out rules there are like prison rules in the playoffs, but it's not prison rules for the goalies? We might as well put skirts on them then if that's how it's going to be. I mean they have to battle through stuff too."

"We might has well put skirts on them then... I think we're letting the goalies off the hook."\n\nLightning coach Jon Cooper weighs in with his perspective on the two disallowed goals tonight and the impact those decisions had on the game.
— (@)

The throw-away comment did not fall on deaf ears, however, as vapid claims of sexism soon followed.

"Put skirts on them? Wow, that's some kind of misogyny. Coach, you should be better. Gross," one fan responded.

Ian Kennedy, writer for the Hockey News, called Cooper's comments "open sexism" that "just can’t be part of a head coach’s vernacular."

Just a couple days later, Cooper opened a press conference by apologizing for the remarks, and shockingly said the negative responses he received felt even worse than the playoff loss.

As a "massive supporter" of women's hockey, Cooper said, "Quite frankly, it was wrong, and I've got to go explain myself to my [daughters]."

"Anyway, I sincerely apologize to all I offended, it's pained me more than the actual series loss itself," he added.

Jon Cooper opens his presser addressing the \u201cgirls in skirts\u201d comment from Monday night. \n\nHe says this has been harder than the loss. #GoBolts
— (@)

"Respect that Jon Cooper opened by addressing this. He’s always been great to deal with, so his comment surprised me. Addressing it head on, with sincerity, is the right approach," wrote betting podcaster Rachel Doerrie.

A former professional football player in the CFL, Troy Westwood, gave advice that men should try to be better "dudes."

"Dear cavemen. Jon Cooper is by all accounts a good guy. He made a mistake. He apologized. He, like what all of us should be doing, strives to be a better dude. It’s easy. Try to be a better dude."

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'Did anybody see my bubbleheads?' 18,000 bobbleheads of NHL legend Jaromir Jagr stolen in California cargo theft

'Did anybody see my bubbleheads?' 18,000 bobbleheads of NHL legend Jaromir Jagr stolen in California cargo theft



California once again became synonymous with theft problems after a large shipment of bobbleheads belonging to the National Hockey League was stolen, the team announced.

After the shipment arrived in California, a case of cargo theft robbed the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins of a reported 18,000 bobbleheads meant to commemorate legendary Czech Republic-born player Jaromir Jagr.

The 52-year-old recently had his jersey number retired by the team; he spent 10 years on the squad winning two Stanley Cup championships. Jagr is second only to Wayne Gretzky in all-time points in the NHL, along with being fourth in all-time goals and fifth in all-time assists.

"The Pittsburgh Penguins announced today that the shipment carrying the Jaromir Jagr bobbleheads for tonight’s game against the San Jose Sharks has been stolen after its arrival in California. As a result, the bobbleheads are not in Pittsburgh and will not be distributed at tonight’s game, but will be distributed at a later date," the team said in a press release.

"We were shocked to be a victim of cargo theft, and we are working closely with local and federal authorities on the investigation," said Penguins President of Business Operations Kevin Acklin. "While this unfortunate incident adds to the legend of Jaromir Jagr, who will be in attendance as our guest at tonight’s game, we look forward to resolving this theft and delivering the prized Jagr bobbleheads to their rightful homes, with our fans," Acklin added.

Jagr has become increasingly popular as he typically leans into jokes about his iconic 1990s mullet and has participated in numerous NHL events in the last year.

The former player joked on his X account that he is currently in search of his "bubbleheads."

"Did anybody see my bubbleheads?? 18000 of them. Actually, I got one, missing 17,999. Let me know. Thank you," Jagr wrote.

Did anybody see my bubbleheads?? 18000 of them. Actually, I got one ,missing 17,999. Let me know. Thank you.
— (@)

The Pittsburgh Penguins media team quickly put together a video that showed Jagr buckling into a car to start searching for the bobbleheads with one in his passenger seat. The video prompted conspiracies that the shipment theft had been a publicity stunt, with hosts on "The Pat McAfee Show" wondering if the story had been "a work."

"Was the theft a publicity stunt?" a fan asked the hockey team on Instagram.

"They were actually stolen, unfortunately," the team replied. "All fans in attendance will receive a voucher that includes a one-time scannable barcode that will be required to pick up the bobblehead at a later date," the team added.

Fans will be required to attend the game to get the bobblehead.

Jagr famously unretired from professional hockey in December 2022 to ensure a team in his home country did not receive a penalty for not having enough players.

After leaving the NHL in 2018, Jagr played in the Czech Republic's top league for the Kladno Knights, a team he is the majority owner of. The team was down to just 12 players due to illness and, after postponing the previous game, was in danger of facing league disciplinary actions should another game be postponed.

Jagr, who was seemingly retired not having played in any of the team's first 26 games, decided to suit up to avoid any penalties. He had two assists in just 15 minutes of ice time.

The Pittsburgh Penguins said that it was still working with the manufacturer, transportation companies, as well as state and federal authorities to locate the cargo.

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North Carolina man arrested and charged after being caught recording minors at hockey game



A man in Charlotte has been charged with more than 15 counts of secret peeping, according to WJZY. John H. Cutter, 61, was reportedly caught video recording a minor in a stall at the Bojangles Coliseum.

Investigators said a father, his 11-year-old son, and his son's 12-year-old friend were at the venue to watch a Charlotte Checkers hockey game. The three arrived at the venue around 4:20 p.m. and went to the bathroom before finding their seats. The father and son waited for the friend to finish in the restroom, and that is when the father discovered a hand and what appeared to be a GoPro camera under the stall the friend was in.

After the friend was done in the restroom, the father confronted Cutter about the alleged incident. Cutter reportedly denied the allegations and walked away, per the report.

— (@)

A description of Cutter was soon given to the authorities. After reviewing the surveillance footage, the authorities found that Cutter had been entering and exiting restrooms leading up to the hockey game. The report noted that he would be in the restroom for about eight minutes before exiting for four minutes, and then he would go to another restroom for about the same amount of time.

The authorities used surveillance footage to track down Cutter's vehicle and found his address. On March 7, officials showed up at Cutter's home with a warrant and took up several electronic devices, per Queen City News.

Police found seven videos on a recording device, totaling about two minutes of footage. It revealed that Cutter had recorded minors in restrooms with their genitals out.

As a result, Cutter was charged with 11 counts of felony secret peeping and three counts of misdemeanor secret peeping.

WSOC reported that some parents who live near Cutter have had to talk to their children about the dangers of being outside by themselves. One neighbor said, "It's unsettling. It makes you think about who you're living around and who you can trust."

"You cannot be alone outside by yourself. You cannot go into anybody's house," the neighbor added.

Court documents have indicated that Cutter was previously a registered sex offender for a conviction that took place in 1999, but he was taken off the registry in 2011.

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Police arrest man 'on suspicion of manslaughter' in relation to on-ice throat cutting of hockey player Adam Johnson



The defenseman whose skate blade fatally slit the throat of 29-year-old Minnesota native Adam Johnson in a English hockey game last month received a standing ovation Sunday during his English team's latest home game. On Tuesday, he appears to have received a manslaughter charge.

The incident

England's Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers hit the ice for an Elite Ice Hockey League game on Oct. 28 with 8,000 fans in the stands.

Following an on-ice collision, the Steelers' Toronto-born Matt Petgrave, a journeyman enforcer who leads the EIHL in penalty minutes, went airborne. His skate blade cut open the Adam Johnson's neck.

Johnson, who played in 13 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins between 2018 and 2022, attempted to skate back to the bench whilst gripping his opened throat.

Paramedics desperately tried to stabilize the player, but Johnson ultimately succumbed to his wound at Sheffield's Northern General Hospital.

The Panthers noted afterwards they were "devastated" that the Minnesotan had died in what they described as a "freak accident," reported the BBC.

"Adam, our number 47, was not only an outstanding ice hockey player, but also a great team-mate and an incredible person with his whole life ahead of him," said the team. "Everyone at the club including players, staff, management and ownership are heartbroken at the news of Adam's passing."

— (@)

Johnson’s fiancée, Ryan Wolfe, said he had "the best sense of humor, the biggest heart, the quickest wit, and the kindest soul.

Footage of the incident went viral, prompting some hockey players to speculate about whether the lethal contact may have been intentional.

Former NHL enforcer Sean Avery told Fox News host Jesse Watters that Petgrave hadn't got up in the morning with the intention of "murdering someone today" but indicated the move was not altogether innocent.

"I've watched it, it's terrible, it's tough to watch," said Avery. "Did this kid make a move that was very unorthodox? Do I think he was trying to make contact of some sort? Absolutely."

Chris Therien, former Philadelphia Flyers and Dallas Stars defenseman, wrote on X, "That Bush league needs to shut down for investigation immediately. I was literally appalled and sickened by what I saw. It looked intentional. It was a Kung fu kick. My eyes are not lying tell me I'm wrong."

Marc Methot, another former NHL player-turned-sports analyst, responded, "I refuse to believe the defender targeted that area on purpose, but I do think it was an incredibly reckless attempt at disrupting Johnson's path into the middle ice."

Westin Michaud, one of Johnson's teammates, suggested online, "The unintentional clip of the Panther player's leg by the Sheffield player caused the somersault. It's clear to me his actions were unintentional and anyone suggesting otherwise is mistaken. Let's come together and not spread unwarranted hate to someone who needs are [sic] support."

Morbid applause

The Sheffield Steelers paid tribute to Johnson at their home Utilita Arena Sheffield on Sunday.

According to the BBC, Royal Air Force representatives set a wreath at center ice. Steelers head coach Aaron Fox and Coventry Blaze coach Danny Stewart similarly laid a wreath in the fallen player's memory. The stadium then observed two minutes of silence.

The event appeared to be good natured and respectful; however, when an image of Petgrave was later displayed on the jumbotron, fans leapt to their feet and cheered for the 31-year-old, who was not on the ice Sunday night, reported the New York Post.

— (@)

The arrest

Days after Petgrave was applauded, South Yorkshire Police indicated that officers investigating the death of Adam Johnson had made an arrest.

Without naming Petgrave outright, the SYP indicated Tuesday they "arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter. He remains in police custody at this time."

Detective Chief Superintendent Becs Horsfall said in a statement, "Our investigation launched immediately following this tragedy and we have been carrying out extensive enquiries ever since to piece together the events which led to the loss of Adam in these unprecedented circumstances."

"We have been speaking to highly specialised experts in their field to assist on our enquiries and continue to work closely with the health and safety department at Sheffield City Council, which is supporting our ongoing investigation."

Horsfall added, "Adam's death has sent shockwaves through many communities, from our local residents here in Sheffield to ice hockey fans across the world. We know these communities will expect us to handle this investigation with the same professionalism, fairness and sensitivity as any other and request that members of the public refrain from comment and speculation which could hinder this process."

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