Home HockeyBuzz Register Login
Philadelphia, PA • United States • 20 Years Old • Male
Earlier today Flyers GM Ron Hextall released a statement informing that defenseman Kimmo Timonen has been diagnosed with blood clots in his right leg and in both of his lungs.

Despite his decline over the last few years and finishing his career on a one-year contract basis, the 39 year-old d-man still plays a crucial role for the orange and black. Maybe even now more than ever.

Philadelphia’s draft approach over the last few years invests them heavily in bolstering the back end. The fan base and front office are both expecting names like Shayne Gostisbehere, Sam Morin, Robert Haag and Travis Sanheim to be the core of the defense in the future. As they develop their on-ice game, as well as learning how to become a professional off of the ice, Kimmo is undoubtedly one of the best to learn from in both aspects.

Other defensemen on the active roster (Streit, MacDonald, Coburn, Grossmann, and Schenn) have been in the league several years but in comparison to Timonen’s 15 years in the NHL and 571 points, come up far short. Kimmo was expected to be involved in the prospects development but now, who knows.

Most Flyers fans rejoiced when Timonen announced he would be back for another year and not to mention the bargain of a contract (1 yr / $2 mil) in comparison to last years $6 million he made. It’s become very clear Kimmo is just as committed to the organization as they are to him.

To put into perspective how blood clots impact playing careers, Tomas Vokoun, 38, missed all of last season when it was determined he had a blood clot in his pelvis. 25 year-old Paul Potsma of the Winnipeg Jets missed over half of the season when he too was diagnosed with a blood clot in his leg in October.

Both Potsma and Vokoun missing that large amount of time due to clots in their lower body’s, there is very little room for optimism with Timonen other than the fact that the injury was found earlier than both scenarios.

Kimmo has already begun treatment in his home country of Finland.


Thanks for reading!
August 11, 2014 1:18 PM ET | Delete
With the condition in his lungs he must be on blood thinners until they clear up and do not return. Blood thinners in hockey are bad. Players on them cannot play the game. This seems like the end of his career and that is a shame. He is the ultimate warrior and will be missed.
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to leave a comment.