[Chris Johnston] Sad news. Longtime SM-liiga player Timo Hirvonen — the father of #leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen — has died at age 49. Condolences to the family.
Sad news. Longtime SM-liiga player Timo Hirvonen — the father of #leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen — has died at age 49.
Condolences to the family. https://t.co/LruqG5TOgf
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 28, 2023
by FutureAnybody
3 Comments
Going to make his first year away from home even tougher. Hoping all the best for Roni and his family.
From Kloke’s 2020 article about Hirvonen in The Athletic:
> Timo Hirvonen never forced his son to attend practices. Roni remembers a time when he asked to skip a practice so he could continue playing with his friends. Timo obliged. The next morning, Roni came to him stating that he regretted the decision and shouldn’t have missed the practice. He has not missed another one since. “I always wanted to do things myself,” Hirvonen explained. “(My dad) didn’t force me to do anything. That’s a big thing in this game: wanting to do it because you really love it.”
Rest in Peace, Timo.
That’s really sad. May he rest peacefully. Condolences to the family and their friends