Kimmo Timonen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Position Defense
Shoots Left
Nickname(s) Kime
Height
Weight
5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
194 lb (88 kg/13 st 12 lb)
NHL Team
F. teams
Philadelphia Flyers
Nashville Predators
Nationality Flag of Finland Finland
Born March 18, 1975 (1975-03-18) (age 33),
Kuopio, FIN
NHL Draft 250th overall, 1993
Los Angeles Kings
Pro career 1992 – present

Kimmo Timonen (born March 18, 1975, in Kuopio, Finland) is a professional ice hockey defenseman in the NHL. He currently plays for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Contents

[edit] Playing career

Timonen was the youngest player to represent Finland at the 1993 IIHF World Junior Championships at the age of 17. He recorded the second-highest shot total in the tournament with 44.

Timonen was drafted by the LA Kings in 1993 in the 10th round and 250th overall. After the draft, he continued to play in his native Finland for several years, first for KalPa and then later for TPS. In 1998, Timonen played on the bronze medal-winning Finnish Olympic team in Nagano. Shortly after the Olympics, he was traded, along with Jan Vopat, from the LA Kings to the Nashville Predators in agreement that Nashville would not select Garry Galley in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft.

During the 1998–99 NHL season, Timonen split time between the Predators and their IHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. The following year, he was promoted to a full time NHL player. He played the next four seasons for the Predators, steadily improving his offensive output, until the 2004–05 NHL lockout. During the lockout, Timonen played for his hometown team, KalPa, which he partly owns with current Philadelphia Flyer teammate Sami Kapanen. Timonen also persuaded his fellow teammate Adam Hall to play for KalPa for the duration of the lockout.

Timonen represented Finland at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and led his team in scoring with six points, the fifth-highest total overall in the tournament.

On October 3, 2006, Timonen was named the captain of the Nashville Predators for the 2006–07 season.[1] That season proved to be a career year for Timonen with him registering career highs in both assists and total points.

Following the 2007 season, Timonen signed a six-year contract worth $37.8 million with the Philadelphia Flyers, which made him the highest paid Finn in the NHL.[2] At the time, Timonen's younger brother Jussi Timonen was playing for the Philadelphia Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Flyers. However, Jussi was subsequently traded to the Dallas Stars.[3]

Timonen's and the Flyers' great run in this season's playoffs was put on hold after a visit to the doctor; Timonen got hit by a wrist shot at his foot on April 30, 2008, by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov. Timonen felt numbness in his foot as the week went along and thought it was nothing but a twisted nerve. After an MRI failed to reveal anything, Timonen had the foot examined at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. However on May 8, 2008, the doctor found a small blood clot in Timonen's foot. Timonen was sidelined indefinitely. After beating the Capitals 4-3, and the Canadiens 4-1, Timonen and the Flyers were going to play the Penguins but Timonen is doubtful to play in the series.He might play in Game 5.[4]

[edit] Awards

[edit] Records

  • Nashville Predators' franchise record for career assists (222)
  • Nashville Predators' franchise record for career points (301)

[edit] Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1991–92 KalPa SM-l 5 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1992–93 KalPa SM-l 33 0 2 2 4 -- -- -- -- --
1993–94 KalPa SM-l 46 6 7 13 55 -- -- -- -- --
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 Nashville Predators NHL 50 4 8 12 30 -- -- -- -- --
1998–99 Milwaukee Admirals IHL 29 2 13 15 22 -- -- -- -- --
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 Swiss-A 3 0 1 1 0 -- -- -- -- --
2004–05 Brynäs IF SEL 10 5 3 8 8 -- -- -- -- --
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 77 8 36 44 48 13 0 6 6 8
NHL Totals 611 84 236 320 372 29 1 11 12 26

[edit] International play

Olympic medal record
Men's Ice hockey
Silver 2006 Turin Ice hockey
Bronze 1998 Nagano Ice hockey

Played for Finland in:

International statistics

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
2001 Finland WC 9 2 2 4 10
2002 Finland WC 9 1 2 3 8
2003 Finland WC 7 2 5 7 2
2004 Finland WCH 6 1 5 6 2
2005 Finland WC 6 2 1 3 6

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Petri Varis
Winner of the Matti Keinonen trophy
1996–97
Succeeded by
Olli Jokinen
Preceded by
Greg Johnson
Nashville Predators captains
2006–07
Succeeded by
Jason Arnott