Finnish version of The Traitors delays final episode after murder of contestant

The finale was due to air this week

Over the weekend, Janne Puhakka, 29, was shot to death by his former partner in the Finnish city of Espoo.

Puhakka, who was Finland's first openly gay professional ice hockey player, had been starring in the second season of 'Petolliset', the Finnish version of hit reality TV show, The Traitors.

The series was filmed in February and March this year, and the finale was due to air this week.

Following the news of Puhakka's death, Finnish network Nelonen announced the finale had been indefinitely postponed.

The network wrote on social media: “The final episode of the season of ‘Petolliset’ was scheduled to be shown on Thursday of this week. We have come to the conclusion that right now is not the right time to air an episode. We will return to the question of the possible presentation of the episode later.

“We share in the grief of Janne’s loved ones.”

Going into the final episode, Puhakka was still an active Traitor in the game.

According to Finnish police, the hockey player was killed after returned to a home which he shared with 66-year-old former partner Rolf Nordmo, in the Henttaa district of Espoo.

The pair were reportedly estranged husbands and had separated just a matter of weeks ago.

According to local authorities, an interrogation revealed the ending of the relationship between the victim and the suspect had been "the motive for the crime."

Nordmo used a legally owned hunting shotgun to kill Puhakka and is said to have confessed to the crime, which police said had been "committed with premeditation and in a particularly brutal and cruel manner.”

He is currently in custody and has been charged with murder, the Wrap reports.

During his ice hockey career, Puhakka played in Canada, Finland and France. After his retirement, he came out as gay in his 2022 memoir “Ulos Kopista.”