Scott Powers, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

First game back step toward Stanley Cup goal for Kimmo Timonen

CHICAGO -- Kimmo Timonen reflected Monday on his nearly year-long journey back to hockey for 98.8 seconds, the amount of time it took for Jim Cornelison to sing the national anthem at the United Center.

Timonen was told in August he had blood clots in his lungs and right leg, and there was a chance he wouldn’t play hockey again. Timonen followed his doctor’s orders for treatment and never gave up. His hope and perseverance were the essential precursors for him wearing a Chicago Blackhawks’ uniform Monday, hearing Cornelison sign the national anthem while being supported by the cheers of a sold-out crowd and ultimately Timonen playing in his first game since April 30, 2014.

"It’s hard to explain,” the 39-year-old Timonen said afterward. “Emotions go high and low, and you listen to the national anthem. It was tough. I wasn’t supposed to be here if you look at 3-4 months ago.

“This is my last year. If there’s a little chance and we can do this safely medical-wise, I’m going to take that chance and do it. That was my goal the last two months. I’m here. I feel pretty good after the game. We’ll go from there. But I got a lot of work to do.”

Timonen was unsure a month and a half ago whether he’d return. It wasn’t until early February that he was cleared to skate again, which he did for the first time Feb. 6. His Philadelphia Flyers’ teammates welcomed him back to a team skate with stick taps Feb. 17. Finally, he was scheduled to suit up for the Flyers in a game Saturday, and, then, he was traded to the Blackhawks, further delaying his return.

Timonen joined the Blackhawks for a practice Sunday, participated in their morning skate Monday and waited 48 seconds into Monday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes to finally step on the ice again during a game. His first shift lasted 45 seconds. He would play 23 shifts and get 17:29 of ice time.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville didn’t want to push Timonen too far Monday. Quenneville liked what he saw, though.

“I thought he was very steady, real predictable,” Quenneville said. “I liked his game. I like the way he thinks and sees the game. I think he’s going to be a real steady influence on our team. I asked him how he felt after the game, and he said he was all right. I think that was a good test for him and that was probably, if we were going to forecast or budget his ice time going in the game, I thought maybe 17 would be a nice number to shoot for.”

Monday wasn’t about performance for Timonen. He expected to be rusty, and he was just that. He could feel it in his legs. They weren’t conditioned yet. Timing is something that he also expects to return with time.

Instead, Monday’s significance was wrapped up in the bigger picture. Timonen was finally off the starting blocks, and he’s excited to see where he can go.

“I felt great obviously,” Timonen said. “If you go back three weeks, I start skating three weeks ago. If you look way beyond that, I wasn’t even supposed to be here medically. I’m just happy to be here and looking forward to play games.

“I got a lot of work to do. I got to get some practices under my belt and a couple games. The only good thing I can take out of that game is I got one game under my belt. I can be a lot better. It was hard. Everything was new -- new team, I haven’t skated for more than three weeks. I haven’t played a game since last year’s playoffs, so it is a fast game out there. It’s going to take me a few games to get used to it.”

Markus Lehto, Timonen’s agent of 20-plus years, wouldn’t have missed Timonen’s return. Lehto was sitting in section 108 of the United Center when it happened. Lehto has been present for many of Timonen’s career accomplishments. Lehto once drove from Chicago to New York the first time Timonen was recalled by the Nashville Predators in 1998. Timonen ended up being a healthy scratch for the game, but it’s telling of how much Timonen has meant to Lehto.

”He’s a special guy in my life,” said Lehto, who like Timonen is from Finland. “He’s one of those guys who basically we built our company around. We’ve been lucky. One of big parts of it is because of Kimmo Timonen. He’s one of those few guys.”

Lehto never doubted he’d see Timonen play another game as well.

“I’m not the doctor, but I’ve seen in a detailed way what was wrong with him,” Lehto said. “I had a pretty good feeling he was still going to play. Like [Flyers general manager] Ron Hextall put it, he’s a stubborn, stubborn, guy. He kind of refused to just quit. I was very confident he was going to play.

“It’s been difficult. Obviously, I think it’s kind of his plan this was going to be his last year. Who knows? It might be. He was definitely looking forward to having an excellent year and playing 82 games, whatever. So, it hasn’t been an easy process for him.”

Lehto experienced a special moment the night before the game. He took Timonen and Blackhawks rookie forward Teuvo Teravainen, also a client and from Finland, to Carmine’s which happens to be Teravainen’s favorite Chicago restaurant. In one chair was Timonen, who had played 1,000-plus NHL games and will turn 40 on March 18, and in another chair was Teravainen, who had played 20 career NHL games and who won’t turn 21 until Sept. 11. Timonen is putting the finishing touches on a memorable career despite having to overcome doubts of his lack of size at 5-foot-10, and Teravainen is in the infancy stages of trying to do the same despite being 5-foot-11 and 178 pounds.

The moment didn’t really sink in for Lehto until later in the night when he taking a cab home. He kicked himself for not getting a picture of them together.

“It was one of those moments perhaps you never get to experience again,” Lehto said.

Teravainen hadn’t met Timonen prior to their first practice together Sunday, but Teravainen has known Timonen’s name and his game since childhood. Timonen is someone most Finnish youth hockey players are well aware of growing up.

“He’s one of those legend players in Finland, like those guys every young player like looks forward to,” Teravainen said. “He’s a great player, such a great career. What a great experience for the kids. ... I’m just hoping he gets the Stanley Cup for his last year.”

That is Timonen’s hope, too. It’s the lone void in his career and what often drove him in his recovery process.

“Obviously, this last summer when I got sick, I was back in Finland in a hospital bed, and they said you have to wait six months to see what’s going to happen,” Timonen said Friday. “Obviously, I was asking a lot of questions about my career and can I still return playing hockey. They said, ‘Well, you have to eat this medicine for six months, then you have a small chance to get back on the ice.’

“So in that moment, I decided if that small chance happens the only thing I’m missing from my hockey career is a Stanley Cup. That was the only goal which I would return to hockey. It wasn’t money. It wasn’t anything else that was missing.”

Lehto didn’t believe there was a person more deserving than Timonen of going out on top.

“Obviously I’m subjective, I’ve known the guy for 20 years, he’s one of my best friends, but I haven’t met a guy who has more class,” Lehto said. “We’re talking about one of the most committed, dedicates athletes I’ve ever seen. I’ve coached, played pro hockey, but this guy is something else.

“It was not an easy decision to leave Philadelphia and his teammates because he’s very well liked on every team he has been on. He’s an ultimate team guy. This guy is so unselfish. But it’s the real opportunity and chance to win the Cup.”

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