Janne Puhakka cause of death: Boyfriend main suspect in hockey ...

ENRIQUE CORBELLA

ADAPTED BY TBS

15/10/2024 - 06:19 CDT

Janne Puhakka, the first professional ice hockey player to speak publicly about his homosexuality in Finland, was found dead in his home in Henttaa Espoo.

Janne Puhakka's body had several gunshot wounds and initial police investigations suggest that his 37-year-old partner, who has been arrested, may have shot him.

Janne Puhakka, who was 29 years old, lived with Norwegian veterinarian Rolf Nordmo (66).

Police have ruled the death of the former ice hockey player, who was capped for Finland and in his career played for Espoo Blues, Espoo United and Gap Raptors, a homicide.

Detective Matti Hogman told the STT news agency that there is "reason to believe that the suspect's actions were deliberate and cruel" and that "the suspect and the victim knew each other".

Puhakka spoke about his sexuality after retiring in 2018 and revealed that he had hidden his homosexuality to avoid being judged by the sports world.

In 2022 he published his memoirs in the book 'Ulos Kopista' and in an interview with South West News Service he acknowledged that he did not talk about his homosexuality before because "I was afraid and I did not want people to know about my sexuality. I was afraid of how I would be perceived in the ultra-male sports world."