View source for Kimmo Timonen

{{Infobox ice hockey player
| image = Kimmo Timonen cropped.jpg
| image_size = 230px
| caption = Timonen with the Flyers in 2010
| position = [[Defenceman|Defense]]
| shoots = Left
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|3|18|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Kuopio]], [[Finland]]
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 194
| played_for = [[KalPa]]<br>[[HC TPS|TPS]]<br>[[HIFK (ice hockey)|HIFK]]<br>[[Nashville Predators]]<br>[[HC Lugano]]<br>[[Brynäs IF]]<br>[[Philadelphia Flyers]]<br>[[Chicago Blackhawks]]
| ntl_team = Finland
| draft = 250th overall
| draft_year = 1993
| draft_team = [[Los Angeles Kings]]
| career_start = 1991
| career_end = 2015
| medaltemplates = 
{{Medal|Country | {{FIN}} }}
{{Medal|Sport | Men's [[ice hockey]]}}
{{Medal|Competition | [[Olympic Games]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics|1998 Sochi]] |[[Ice hockey at the 1998 Winter Olympics|Tournament]]}}
{{Medal|Silver| [[Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics|2006 Vancouver]] |[[Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics|Tournament]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics|2010 Sochi]] |[[Ice hockey at the 2010 Winter Olympics|Tournament]]}}
{{Medal|Bronze| [[Ice hockey at the 2014 Winter Olympics|2014 Vancouver]] |[[Ice hockey at the 2014 Winter Olympics|Tournament]]}}
{{Medal|Competition | [[Ice Hockey World Championships|World Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold | 1998 Switzerland | [[1998 IIHF World Championship|Tournament]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | 1999 Norway | [[1999 IIHF World Championship|Tournament]]}}
{{Medal|Silver | 2001 Germany | [[2001 IIHF World Championship|Tournament]]}}
}}
'''Kimmo Samuel Timonen''' (born March 18, 1975) is a [[Finns|Finnish]] former professional [[ice hockey]] [[defenceman]]. He played a total of sixteen seasons in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). He played for the [[Nashville Predators]], [[Philadelphia Flyers]], and [[Chicago Blackhawks]]. He also played for [[KalPa]], [[HC TPS|TPS]], and [[HIFK Hockey|HIFK]] of [[SM-liiga]] (SM-l), [[HC Lugano]] of [[National League (ice hockey)|National League A]] (NLA), and [[Brynäs IF]] of the [[Swedish Hockey League|Elitserien]] (SEL).
== Career ==
Before playing in the NHL, Timonen played parts of 7 years in the [[Liiga|SM-liiga]] with [[KalPa]], [[HC TPS|TPS]], and [[HIFK (ice hockey)|HIFK]].

He was drafted 250th overall by the [[Los Angeles Kings]] in the [[1993 NHL Entry Draft]]. He continued to play in the SM-liiga after the draft. He helped Finland win the [[bronze medal]] at the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] in [[Nagano]]. A little while after the Olympics, the Kings traded Timonen along with [[Jan Vopat]] to the [[Nashville Predators]] (who did not begin playing yet) in agreement that the Predators would not draft [[Garry Galley]] in the [[1998 NHL Expansion Draft]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kings.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=40851|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Kings All-Time Trades|publisher=Los Angeles Kings}}</ref>

Timonen would spend time between the Predators and their [[International Hockey League (1945–2001)|IHL]] affiliate, the [[Milwaukee Admirals]]. He was called up to the Predators during [[1999-2000 NHL season|1999-2000 season]]. He played the next four seasons with the Predators before the [[2004–05 NHL lockout]]. He decided to travel back to Finland and play for KalPa during the lockout. On October 3, 2006, the Predators named Timonen the [[Captain (ice hockey)|captain]] for the [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07 season]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://predators.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=438976|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Predators name captains for 2006-07|publisher=Nashville Predators}}</ref>

On June 18, 2007, the Predators traded Timonen along with [[Scott Hartnell]] to the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in exchange for Philadelphia's first round pick ([[Jonathon Blum]]) in the [[2007 NHL Entry Draft]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=435812|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Flyers Acquire Rights to Timonen and Hartnell|publisher=Philadelphia Flyers}}</ref> After he signed, he became the highest paid Finn in the NHL after he signed a six-year, $37.8 million contract extension.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=435822|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Flyers Sign Kimmo Timonen and Scott Hartnell to Contracts|publisher=Philadelphia Flyers}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=369404|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Defensemen find new homes for 2007-08|publisher=NHL}}</ref>

Timonen and the Flyers faced the [[Washington Capitals]] in the first round of the [[2008 Stanley Cup playoffs|playoffs]]. Philadelphia was able to win the series 4–3. In the second round of the playoffs, the Flyers played against the [[Montreal Canadiens]] and won the series 4–1. On April 30, 2008, Timonen was hit by a wrist shot at his foot by Canadiens defenseman [[Andrei Markov (ice hockey)|Andrei Markov]]. He said that he had felt numbness in his foot but he didn't think it was anything but a twisted nerve. On May 8, 2008, a doctor at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania who looked at Timonen's foot said that he had found a small [[Clot|blood clot]]. This stopped Timonen from playing indefinitely and he missed the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the rival [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=436108|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Timonen Out with Blood Clot|publisher=Philadelphia Flyers}}</ref> He returned in game 5 but the Flyers lost and they were eliminated from the playoffs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3402070|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Timonen back, Coburn still sidelined for Flyers|date=18 May 2008|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> On March 5, 2011, Timonen scored his 100th career goal against [[Ryan Miller]] of the [[Buffalo Sabres]] in a 5–3 loss.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2010020974|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Sabres 5, Flyers 3|publisher=Philadelphia Flyers}}</ref> On August 5, 2014, Timonen was diagnosed with blood clots in his right leg and both of his lungs. He was ruled out from playing indefinitely and missed the first 62 games of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=727858|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Injury Update: Kimmo Timonen|publisher=Philadelphia Flyers}}</ref>

On February 27, 2015, the Flyers traded Timonen to the [[Chicago Blackhawks]] in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick and 2016 fourth-round pick.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blackhawks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=755462|accessdate=March 27, 2015|title=Blackhawks acquire Timonen from Flyers|publisher=Chicago Blackhawks}}</ref>

On 5 March, Timonen announced that he was going to retire from professional ice hockey at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/kimmo-timonen-definitely-retiring-eyes-coach-job/|accessdate=September 11, 2024|title=Timonen definitely retiring, eyes coaching job|publisher=[[Sportsnet]]}}</ref> On 15 June, Timonen played his final game in the NHL. In his final game, he was able to help the Blackhawks defeat the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] and win his first [[Stanley Cup]]. Captain [[Jonathan Toews]] celebrated with the cup and choose Timonen as the first player to hand it off to.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/38471/third-cup-proves-blackhawks-are-among-the-eras-best|accessdate=September 11, 2024|title=Another Cup proves Blackhawks are among the era's best|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> During their visit to the [[White House]], President [[Barack Obama]] congratulated Timonen and applauded him for his career and ability to play through his blood clots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/president-obama-recognizes-scott-darling-kimmo-timonen/293208/|accessdate=September 11, 2024|title=President Obama recognizes Scott Darling, Kimmo Timonen|publisher=[[NBC Sports|NBC Sports Chicago]]}}</ref>

Timonen would be inducted into the [[IIHF Hall of Fame]] in 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/17847/iihf-hall-of-fame-welcomes-class-of-2020|accessdate=September 11, 2024|title=Legends join IIHF Hall of Fame|publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]]}}</ref>

== Kimmo Timonen Media ==
<gallery widths='160px' heights='100%' mode='traditional' caption=''>
File:Kimmo Timonen 2006.jpg|Timonen spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Predators.

File:Kimmo Timonen 2010-10-07.JPG|Timonen with the Flyers in October 2010.

File:WellsFargoCenterPhila 35.JPG|Timonen (left foreground) and [[Braydon Coburn]] with the Flyers in March 2014.
</gallery>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
== Other websites ==
{{commons category|Kimmo Timonen}}
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{{succession box | before = [[Greg Johnson (ice hockey)|Greg Johnson]] | title = [[Nashville Predators#Team captains|Nashville Predators captain]] | years = [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]]| after = [[Jason Arnott]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Timonen, Kimmo}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Chicago Blackhawks players]]
[[Category:Finnish ice hockey defencemen]]
[[Category:Nashville Predators players]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for Finland]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for Finland]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Flyers players]]
[[Category:Stanley Cup champions]]
[[Category:International Hockey League (1945–2001) players]]
[[Category:Swedish Hockey League players]]