Pasanen played for his hometown team Imatran Ketterä until 1993 and then spent a single season in the United States, splitting the 1993–94 campaign between CoHL’s Muskegon Fury and SuHL sides West Palm Beach Blaze and Daytona Beach Sun Devils.
Pasanen was named head coach of ERV Schweinfurt in 2002 and remained in the job until 2004.
He accepted the position as assistant coach of DEL side Hannover Scorpions for the 2004-2005 campaign.
He then served as head coach of German second-division team Moskitos Essen from 2005 to 2008 and from 2010 to 2011,[1] interrupted by a stint with the Schwenninger Wild Wings in 2008–2009 season.
In 2012, Pasanen joined the coaching staff of DEL team Iserlohn Roosters as an assistant.