Finland’s first openly gay ice hockey player has been found dead in a suspected murder.

Janne Puhakka, 29, died in the home he shared with his Norwegian veterinarian partner, Rolf Nordmo, 65 in Henttaa, Espoo, on Sunday evening

Puhakka, who played for Espoo Blues and Espoo United before ending his career at the end of the 2017–2018 season, met Rolf in 2014 and quickly fell in love after chatting online for one week.

Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat has reported that Puhakka’s case is being treated as a murder, with a suspect detained on the scene on suspicion of shooting Puhakka to death.

Sanna Marin, the former Finnish Prime Minister, is among those who have paid tribute to Puhakka. She took to Instagram to share an image of the former ice hockey player with a broken love heart emoji.

A 65-year-old man who is suspected of shooting Puhakka to death, has been detained by police, according to Finnish media.

Detective Inspector Matti Högman, told news agency STT there was ‘reason to believe the suspect’s actions were deliberate and cruel’ and the ‘suspect and victim knew each other’.

On Sunday evening, a bystander called the police to the couple’s apartment after suspecting a violent crime.

Police are investigating the weapon and are exploring whether it is licensed.

The 29-year-old was the first Finnish ice hockey player who openly discussed his homosexuality.

At the start of his career, he hid his sexual identity from friends for fear of being stigmatised.

Janne and Rolf discussed their relationship in the Mirror in 2022, with the sports professional saying he kept his relationship private because he was ‘scared of the way I would be perceived in the ultra-masculine sporting world’.

After chatting online in June 2014, Rolf flew three times from his home in Oslo to Helsinki, Finland, to see Janne.

At the time, Rolf told himself that the relationship wouldn’t work because of their age gap, and told himself that it was ‘just a summer fling’.

But the pair grew closer, and Rolf went on to visit Janne while he was working in Canada.

  • @breakingcupsEnglish
    11•8 days ago

    Janne Puhakka, 29, died in the home he shared with his Norwegian veterinarian partner, Rolf Nordmo, 65 in Henttaa, Espoo, on Sunday evening

    A 65-year-old man who is suspected of shooting Puhakka to death, has been detained by police, according to Finnish media.

    Detective Inspector Matti Högman, told news agency STT there was ‘reason to believe the suspect’s actions were deliberate and cruel’ and the ‘suspect and victim knew each other’.

    🤔