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 Timonen, born on March 18, 1975, is a retired Finnish ice hockey player. He was a skilled defenseman who played for 16 seasons in the NHL. He played for the Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Chicago Blackhawks. Kimmo played over 1,100 NHL games before he stopped playing.
During his amazing career, Kimmo also played in many big international tournaments. These included three IIHF World Junior Championships, seven IIHF World Championships, and two World Cups. He also played in five Olympic tournaments. In 2015, he won the Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks. This was in his very last game as a professional player. Kimmo was honored in 2020 when he was added to the IIHF Hall of Fame.
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Kimmo Timonen's Hockey Journey
Kimmo Timonen started playing hockey at a young age. He was the youngest player for Finland at the 1993 IIHF World Junior Championships. He was only 17 years old then. In that tournament, he took 44 shots, which was the second-highest number of shots.
The Los Angeles Kings picked Kimmo in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 250th player chosen overall. After being drafted, he kept playing in Finland for a few years. He played for teams like KalPa and TPS.
In 1998, Kimmo played for the Finnish Olympic team in Nagano. His team won a bronze medal. Soon after the Olympics, the Kings traded him to the Nashville Predators.
Playing for the Nashville Predators
Kimmo Timonen spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Nashville Predators.
During the 1998–99 season, Kimmo played for both Nashville and their minor league team, the Milwaukee Admirals. The next year, he became a full-time NHL player. He played four more seasons for the Predators. He kept getting better at scoring points.
When the 2004–05 NHL season was paused, Kimmo played for his hometown team, KalPa. He even partly owned this team with his friend Sami Kapanen. Kimmo also convinced his teammate Adam Hall to play for KalPa during that time.
In 2004, Kimmo played for Finland in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He was the top scorer for his team with six points. This was the fifth-highest score in the whole tournament. On October 3, 2006, Kimmo was named the captain of the Nashville Predators. That season was his best year for scoring points and assists.
Time with the Philadelphia Flyers
After the 2006–07 season, Kimmo Timonen was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. He signed a big contract with them. This made him the highest-paid Finnish player in the NHL at that time. Kimmo's younger brother, Jussi Timonen, also played for a Flyers-related team.
In the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers won against the Washington Capitals and the Montreal Canadiens. During a game against Montreal, Kimmo was hit by a shot on his foot. He later found out he had a small blood clot in his foot. He missed some games in the next round against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kimmo returned for Game 5, but the Flyers lost the series.
In the 2009–10 season, Kimmo led all NHL defensemen in shorthanded goals. These are goals scored when your team has fewer players on the ice. That year, Kimmo played in his first Stanley Cup Finals. However, the Flyers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
Kimmo scored his 100th career goal on March 5, 2011. He also tied for the most shorthanded goals among defensemen that season. On March 1, 2012, Kimmo reached 500 career points with an assist. He played his 1,000th NHL game on March 18, 2013, which was also his 37th birthday.
Winning the Stanley Cup
Before the 2014–15 season, Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed with blood clots. These were in his lungs and his right leg. This serious health issue meant he couldn't play for the Flyers for a long time. After missing 62 games, Kimmo was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. This happened on February 27, 2015. He had been a very important defenseman for the Flyers.
On March 5, Kimmo announced he would retire after the 2014–15 season. On June 15, Kimmo won his first Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks. This was the very last game of his 20-year career! During the celebration, Kimmo was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup after the captain, Jonathan Toews. Kimmo said he had dreamed of that moment for a long time. He was happy to leave the game as a Stanley Cup champion. He was also the last active player in the NHL from the 1993 draft.
In February 2016, then-President Barack Obama welcomed the Blackhawks team to the White House. During his speech, he praised Kimmo Timonen. He talked about how Kimmo had a great career but had lost in many finals. He also mentioned Kimmo's blood clot issues. President Obama said it was amazing that Kimmo fought back and won the Cup at age 40.
Kimmo said it was a total surprise to be mentioned by the President. He felt very honored. He also said it brought up strong feelings to think about what he went through to play again. Winning the Stanley Cup brought many great experiences, and this was one he would remember forever.
Life Outside of Hockey
Kimmo is married to Johanna Timonen, and they have three children. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2015, Kimmo officially retired from professional hockey. Today, Kimmo 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 and honors throughout his 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 SM-liiga (Finnish hockey league).
- 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 (another Finnish league).
- He also won the Mestis championship with KalPa in 2005.
- Kimmo 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 became a Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks.
- In 2016, his jersey number 44 was retired by his former team, KalPa.
- In 2020, he was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame. The ceremony was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but took place in 2022.
