This spring is Kimmo Timonen’s final shot at a Stanley Cup ring.
The 39-year-old defenceman told reporters in Chicago Thursday that he will be retiring at the end of the 2014-15 season but wants to remain involved in hockey as a coach.
Timonen, who only made his season debut Monday, was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks from the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2015 NHL draft and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2016.
Ironically, it was the Blackhawks who snuffed out the blueliner’s best shot at lifting the Cup back in 2010, when Chicago defeated Philly in a six-game Stanley Cup final.
Timonen, who has been dealing with bloodclots in his right calf and lungs since the summer, is highly regarded amongst his peers. He provided one of this season’s more touching moments by flying to Columbus last month to surprise friend and teammate Scott Hartnell, who was playing his 1,000th NHL game, Hartnell explained to HC @ Noon.
“What the heck are you doing here?” Hartnell said when he saw Timonen before puck drop. “I gave him a big hug. It was really nice to see him. He promised me a couple years ago at his [1,000th game], ‘I’ll be there for yours.’ “
A native of Kuopio, Finland, Timonen scored six goals and 35 points in 77 games with the Flyers last season. He has 117 goals and 571 points in 1,093 games across a 15-year career.
The veteran has already sparked a relationship with 20-year-old Chicago prospect (and fellow Finn) Teuvo Teravainen, who’s been driving Timon around town.
