Long-time European player, father of Maple Leafs prospect passes away

Some sad news to report on in the hockey world on Friday afternoon as TPS Turku have announced the passing of long-time Liiga forward Timo Hirvonen, father of Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Roni Hirvonen.

Timo Hirvonen spent 14 seasons playing professionally in Finland, as well as brief stint in Sweden with Malmo. In those 14 seasons in the SM-Liiga, now known as Liiga, Hirvonen suited up for Kiekko-Espoo/Espoo Blues and SaiPa, recording 215 points (98 goals, 117 assists) in 607 games.

After retiring, Hirvonen turned his attention to coaching, where he was with the Espoo Blues organization for nine seasons. Most recently, he was behind the bench as an assistant coach for TPS Turku's U20 team during the 2021-22 season.

Our thoughts are with Hirvonen's family and friends at this extremely difficult time.