A large group of people gathered at Helsinki's Senate Square on Monday for a memorial service for Janne Puhakka, a former professional hockey player who police suspect was killed by his ex partner earlier this month.
The early evening event was organised by the Finnish League for Human Rights, LGBTIQ-rights group Seta and Helsinki Pride.
Puhakka was the first professional hockey player in Finland to publicly reveal his homosexuality. He was found dead at his residence in the Henttaa district of Espoo in mid-October.
Annu Kemppainen, Helsinki Pride's community director, said it felt important to attend Monday's memorial, describing Puhakka as an exceptional bridge builder between the sports world and the rainbow community.
Tommy Lindgren, who works with the human rights league's sports branch, Team Human Rights, said Puhakka was an extremely brave and important role model.
"He drew attention to the structure of sports organisations, and reminded sports clubs and federations about their responsibilities about human rights," Lindgren told the crowd at Senate Square as he stood next to hundreds of candles lit in Puhakka's memory.
Lindgren noted that Puhakka spoke in podcasts about rainbow rights within sports.
"Janne was an extremely important pioneer in Finland, but also internationally. His passing has shocked many people," Lindgren said.
