Dead|Close friends describe Miikka Pentikäin as everyone’s friend. A group of friends celebrated the former floorball league player’s 28th birthday just a week before the sad news.
From the floor bandy community came the sad news on Wednesday. Played more than 200 league matches for LASB from Lahti Miikka Pentikäinen passed away at the age of 28.
“Unreal is an apt word. Don’t really understand this”, Miska Mäkinen says the voice trembling.
Mäkinen and Pentikäinen, who decided the World Cup final with their overtime goal in mid-December, were close friends. Suru-uutinen reached Mäkinen on Tuesday evening, when Pentikäinen’s mother called him.
Mäkinen, who plays in Switzerland, saw his good friend for the last time just over a week before Pentikäinen’s death. A few days before the New Year, a group of friends celebrated Pentikäinen’s 28th birthday with darts.
“It’s been a tradition, ‘Mifu’s’ birthday, a darts competition and dear friends together.”
“At that time, he was so joyful and happy that the group was together and we got to spend the evening with a good group. It’s somehow unreal that everything has suddenly changed in just over a week,” says Mäkinen, overcome by grief.
In the same the birthday party also spent the evening Roope KainulainenPentikäinen’s childhood friend from Hollola.
“Of course Mifu won the darts competition. Everything was fine”, remembers Kainulainen, shocked by his friend’s death.
He and Pentikäinen met more than 20 years ago. Pentikäinen was Kainulainen’s younger brother Rasmus’s best friend and involved in the brothers’ yard games.
“Mifu was spending time with us almost every day.”
As teenagers, they played in the same Hollola Sportsmen’s junior team and as adults for several seasons together in the ranks of LASB.
“An incredible person. I can’t think of anyone who has anything bad to say about him”, Kainulainen recalls his childhood friend.
Pentikäinen (right) served as LASB captain for several seasons. He ended his league career last spring.
Friends describe Pentikai as everyone’s friend.
“Mifu was an incredible friend who always took everyone into account. He was a person in the team that everyone could talk to. As captain, he was there for support if someone needed it,” says Mäkinen.
Mäkinen got to know Pentikäinen at the Pohjola camps of the Floorball Association. They became friends as teenagers in the youth national team. The two celebrated the under-19 world championship together in the spring of 2015.
From 2017 to 2021, they played as teammates in LASB.
Of the common ones from memories, both Kainulainen and Mäkinen remember evening parties and cabin trips with a group of friends.
“Mifu was such a main character. Not completely in the center, but he knew how to take on a role,” says Kainulainen.
In addition to floorball, Mäki and Pentikäin were united by a love of football.
“You could always talk about futs with Mifu.”
However, one memory rises above the others. When Pentikäinen and his spouse found out they were expecting their first child, Pentikäinen asked Mäkis to be godfather.
“It’s stuck in my mind forever.”
Pentikäinen was the father of two small children.