Death of gay ice hockey player Janne Puhakka treated as murder

The death of a gay former ice-hockey player is being investigated as murder.

Janne Puhakka, who came out as gay in 2019, was the first Finnish hockey player to speak about his sexuality and discussed having to hide his it from teammates because of the homophobia in the sport. Finnish news outlet Ilta-Sanomat reported that he died on Sunday evening (13 October) at his home in the southern city of Espoo. He was 29.

A 66-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and was questioned by officers on Monday (14 October) but has not been charged.

Tributes have continued to flood in for the former hockey star.

The official X/Twitter account for Liiga, the top professional ice hockey league in Finland, described him as “an important role model”, saying his “courage and openness left an indelible mark on Finnish hockey”.

Hockey expert Topi Nättinen told sports publication Yle Urheilu that Puhakka’s death was “shocking, sad and horrible”.

Nättinen went on to say: “The first thing that comes to mind about Janne is a role model. His courage opened new doors socially, not only in Finland, but also globally. [He] was an exceptional person both in the hockey community and the entire sports world. He was so brave. It may not even be understood how great a role model he has been for many.”

In a statement on social media, French hockey club Rapaces de Gap, where Puhakka played during the 2017/18 season said he “left his mark on the staff and his teammates with his kindness and team spirit”.

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