Kimmo Timonen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kimmo Timonen |
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Timonen with the Philadelphia Flyers in March 2009
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| Born | 18 March 1975 Kuopio, Finland |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | KalPa TPS HIFK Nashville Predators HC Lugano Brynäs IF Philadelphia Flyers Chicago Blackhawks |
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| National team |  Finland |
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| NHL Draft | 250th overall, 1993 Los Angeles Kings |
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| Playing career | 1991–2015 | ||
Kimmo Samuel Timonen (born on March 18, 1975) is a former professional ice hockey player from Finland. He was a defenseman and played for 16 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for three teams: the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Chicago Blackhawks.
Kimmo Timonen played in more than 1,100 NHL games before he retired. He also played for Finland in many big international tournaments. These included three IIHF World Junior Championships, seven IIHF World Championships, two World Cups, and five Olympic Games. In 2015, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. This was the very last game of his career. In 2020, he was added to the IIHF Hall of Fame, which is a special honor for hockey players.
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Kimmo Timonen's Hockey Journey
Kimmo Timonen started playing hockey at a young age. When he was 17, he was the youngest player on Finland's team at the 1993 IIHF World Junior Championships. He took a lot of shots in that tournament, showing his skill early on.
Drafted by the Kings
In 1993, the Los Angeles Kings picked Timonen in the NHL Draft. He was chosen in the tenth round, as the 250th player overall. After being drafted, he kept playing in Finland for a few more years. He played for teams like KalPa and TPS.
In 1998, Timonen joined the Finnish Olympic team for the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. His team won a bronze medal there! Soon after the Olympics, the Kings traded him to the Nashville Predators.
Playing for the Nashville Predators
During his first season with the Predators (1998–99), Timonen played for both Nashville and their minor league team, the Milwaukee Admirals. The next year, he became a full-time NHL player. He played for the Predators for four more seasons, getting better at scoring points each year.
When the NHL had a lockout (a time when players couldn't play) in 2004–05, Timonen went back to play for his hometown team, KalPa, in Finland. He even partly owns this team with his former teammate, Sami Kapanen.
In 2004, Timonen played for Finland in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He was the top scorer for his team, with six points.
On October 3, 2006, Kimmo Timonen was named the captain of the Nashville Predators. This was a big honor! That season was one of his best, as he set new personal records for assists and total points.
Time with the Philadelphia Flyers
After the 2006–07 season, Timonen was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. He then signed a big contract with them. At that time, his younger brother, Jussi Timonen, also played for a Flyers-affiliated team.
In the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers played very well. During one game, Timonen was hit by a puck on his foot. He later found out he had a small blood clot in his foot. This meant he had to miss some important playoff games. He returned for Game 5, but the Flyers lost that game and were out of the playoffs.
In the 2009–10 NHL season, Timonen was great at scoring goals when his team was playing with fewer players (called shorthanded goals). That year, he played in his first ever Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Flyers lost the series to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Timonen scored his 100th career goal on March 5, 2011. On March 1, 2012, he reached 500 career points with an assist. On his 37th birthday, March 18, 2013, he played his 1,000th NHL game. This is a huge milestone for any hockey player!
Winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks
Before the 2014–15 NHL season, Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and leg. This was a very serious health issue, and it meant he couldn't play for the Flyers for a long time.
As the NHL trade deadline got closer, Timonen started to get healthy again. He had missed the first 62 games of the season. On February 27, 2015, the Flyers traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks. He had been a very important defenseman for the Flyers.
On March 5, Timonen announced that he would retire from hockey after the 2014–15 season. On June 15, he won his first Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks! This was the perfect way to end his 20-year career. During the celebration, he was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup after the captain, Jonathan Toews. Timonen said he had dreamed of that moment for a long time and was happy to leave the game as a champion. He was also the last active player in the NHL from the 1993 draft class.
In February 2016, then-President Barack Obama welcomed the Blackhawks team to the White House. During his speech, he spoke about Kimmo Timonen:
You all know the big names on this team... today I actually wanna give the spotlight to two of the unsung heroes on this team... First there is Kimmo Timonen. Now Kimmo already had a great career before last season. He had been to the Stanley Cup final, Olympic final, World Championship final — he had lost them all… In August he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and his calf, he wasn’t even sure he’d play again. He was traded to Chicago mid-season, fought back on the ice, his final NHL game, at the age of 40, Kimmo finally hoisted the Cup. And that, first of all, as an old guy, it makes me feel good, but it’s also a sign of a great career when somebody who’s just able to stick with it and consistently contribute and make a huge difference, so give Kimmo a big one!
Timonen later said that President Obama's speech was a complete surprise and a great honor. He was especially touched that the President mentioned his health struggles and how hard he worked to return to the ice.
Kimmo Timonen's Life Off the Ice
Kimmo is married to Johanna Timonen, and they have three children. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, Kimmo officially retired from playing hockey. Today, he owns several restaurants and nightclubs in his hometown of Kuopio, Finland.
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1990–91 | KalPa | FIN U20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | KalPa | FIN U20 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | KalPa | SM-l | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | KalPa | FIN U18 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | KalPa | FIN.2 U20 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 8 | ||
| 1992–93 | KalPa | SM-l | 33 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | KalPa | FIN.2 U20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1993–94 | KalPa | SM-l | 46 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | TPS | FIN U20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | TPS | SM-l | 45 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | ||
| 1995–96 | TPS | SM-l | 48 | 3 | 21 | 24 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 1996–97 | TPS | SM-l | 50 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 8 | ||
| 1997–98 | HIFK | SM-l | 45 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 24 | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1998–99 | Milwaukee Admirals | IHL | 29 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 50 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–2000 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 51 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 82 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 72 | 6 | 34 | 40 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 77 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 52 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Lugano | NLA | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Brynäs IF | SEL | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | KalPa | Mestis | 12 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 79 | 11 | 39 | 50 | 74 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Nashville Predators | NHL | 80 | 13 | 42 | 55 | 42 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2007–08 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 80 | 8 | 36 | 44 | 50 | 13 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2008–09 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 3 | 40 | 43 | 54 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2009–10 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 82 | 6 | 33 | 39 | 50 | 23 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 20 | ||
| 2010–11 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 82 | 6 | 31 | 37 | 36 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 2011–12 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 76 | 4 | 39 | 43 | 46 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 23 | ||
| 2012–13 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 45 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Philadelphia Flyers | NHL | 77 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 32 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2014–15 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| SM-l totals | 272 | 32 | 63 | 95 | 133 | 43 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 39 | ||||
| NHL totals | 1,108 | 117 | 454 | 571 | 654 | 105 | 4 | 31 | 35 | 109 | ||||
International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Finland |
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| Winter Olympics | ||
| Silver | 2006 Turin | |
| Bronze | 1998 Nagano | |
| Bronze | 2010 Vancouver | |
| Bronze | 2014 Sochi | |
| World Cup | ||
| Silver | 2004 Toronto | |
| World Championships | ||
| Silver | 1998 Switzerland | |
| Silver | 1999 Norway | |
| Silver | 2001 Germany | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Finland | EJC | 5th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1993 | Finland | WJC | 5th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 1993 | Finland | EJC | 4th | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 1994 | Finland | WJC | 4th | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| 1995 | Finland | WJC | 4th | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Finland | WC | 5th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1998 | Finland | OG |  |
6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1998 | Finland | WC |  |
10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1999 | Finland | WC | |
10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2001 | Finland | WC | |
9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | |
| 2002 | Finland | OG | 6th | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2002 | Finland | WC | 4th | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | |
| 2003 | Finland | WC | 5th | 7 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2004 | Finland | WCH | |
6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Finland | WC | 7th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2006 | Finland | OG | |
8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Finland | OG | |
6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Finland | OG | |
6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 31 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 16 | ||||
| Senior totals | 93 | 14 | 36 | 50 | 46 | ||||
Awards and Honors
Kimmo Timonen received many awards during his hockey career:
- In 1994, he was chosen for the First Team All-Star at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
- In 1997, he won the Matti Keinonen trophy for having the best +/- in the Finnish league (SM-liiga).
- He won the Kanada-malja (Finnish championship) twice: in 1995 with TPS and in 1998 with HIFK.
- In 2005, he was named the most valuable player in the Mestis playoffs and won the Mestis championship with KalPa.
- He was chosen for the National Hockey League All-Star Game five times: in 2000 (but couldn't play due to injury), 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2012.
- He won the Barry Ashbee Trophy five times as the Philadelphia Flyers' best defenseman (2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014).
- In 2015, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks.
- His jersey number 44 was retired by his former team, KalPa, in 2016.
- In 2020, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
