Five Years ago, the Chicago Blackhawks broke Kimmo Timonen’s heart, and perhaps ended his chances of earning a Stanley Cup. Or did they?
If you are a hockey fan, young or old, chances are you have heard of Timonen, because his career has spanned 16 seasons. In fact, he has played with rookies who have retired long before he laced up his skates for the final time.
The Beginning of the Journey
Timonen was drafted in 1993 by the LA Kings, a team he never played for. They traded him to the Nashville Predators in return for a player they were to select in the 1998 expansion draft. Nashville is where he began his NHL career in their inaugural season, 1998. He was even named the team’s Captain during the ’06-’07 season, which turned out to be his last with the franchise.
He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in the off season, and there he became one of the most beloved players in the history of the organization. He was instrumental in a couple of deep play-off runs, including the Stanley Cup final against the Blackhawks, the team that would eventually help him to achieve the one milestone that had eluded him, the Stanley Cup.
A Lifelong Dream Flatlined
One shifty, young winger by the name of Patrick Kane was his charge on that final shift. A shift that ended with Kane lifting a puck out of no man’s land, and sailing it by the Flyers goalie. It happened so fast, that Kane was the only one who saw it go in. Kane began the celebration as Timonen, the Flyers, and many of Kane’s own teammates were trying to figure out what had happened. When the puck was located, Timonen and the Flyers watched dejectedly as the visitors hoisted the cup for the first time in 49 years.
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The heartbreak of that season drove Timonen, he was determined to get his hands on the Stanley Cup.
As it turns out the road was not easy; in fact many would have given up. Not Kimmo, his determination helped him to overcome life threatening blood clots to return to the team and the city that adored him. However, at the time of his return, two things were clear to Timonen. First, he was running out of time at almost 40 years of age. Second, his beloved Flyers would not be the team that he needed, in order to fulfill his one remaining hockey goal.
Hope and Determination Keep Stanley Cup Dream Alive
So, just weeks before his 40th birthday, he met with Flyers General Manager Ron Hextall and requested to be traded to a contender. Both knew it would be a tall order, given all the time Kimmo had missed with his health scare, and his advancing age. Fortunately, Kimmo’s hope was still alive, as Stan Bowman took an interest in the veteran defenseman near the trade deadline.
On February 27th, Kimmo Timonen was traded to the Blackhawks, a perennial Cup contender, and the very team that crushed the dream he was so desperate to keep alive. Kismet, some might say.
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With the Hawks, Timonen played in his 1,100th career game on March 21, 2015, just one week after his 40th birthday. However, that stat would simply be a blip on the radar as the post season unfolded. On June 15, Jonathan Toews lifted the grandest prize in all of hockey, and handed it straight to Kimmo Timonen. It marked the end of his career, forever etching his name into the record books, as a Stanley Cup Champion.
Timonen had a storied career that earned him a long list of accomplishments including:
- Five Olympic appearances (1 Silver and 3 Bronze Medals)
- Seven World Cup appearances (3 Silver Medals)
- One World Hockey Championship (Silver Medal)
- Five all-star game selections
- Five Barry Ashbee Awards for Flyers Best Defenseman
- 117 Goals
- 454 Assists
- 571 Points
- 1,108 Games
And finally, a Stanley Cup
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For likely the only time this season, two teams stood on the same side as they paid tribute to a member of both of their franchises. A great leader, a father figure, a mentor and a friend to every player that was lucky enough to call him their teammate.
A Stanley Cup Champion.