A moment of silence was held before every game in Finland’s top professional hockey league Wednesday following the killing of former player Janne Puhakka over the weekend.
Puhakka, a forward who spent two years with the QMJHL’s Chicoutimi Sagueneens and played professionally in Finland and France, was found shot to death in his home on Sunday night. He was 29.
Police arrested Puhakka’s former partner, Rolf Nordmo, a 66-year-old Norwegian veterinarian, and are conducting a murder investigation because they suspect it was a premeditated act, according to multiple Finnish media reports, citing details confirmed by a police release. Nordmo has reportedly confessed to the crime and is cooperating with police, telling them that his motive was not accepting the recent end of his relationship with Puhakka after 10 years.
Puhakka was Finland’s first openly gay male pro hockey player. He came out publicly in 2019 after the end of his playing career and released a 2022 memoir called “Ulos Kopista” — which roughly translates to “Out of the Locker (Room).”
The SM-liiga — Finland’s top pro men’s league — released a statement saying, “Janne Puhakka was an important role model, and his courage and openness left an indelible mark on Finnish hockey.”
No comments:
Post a Comment