1. Playing career
Kimmo Timonen's professional ice hockey career spanned over two decades, progressing from junior and Finnish leagues to an extensive tenure in the National Hockey League and numerous international appearances for Finland.
1.1. Junior and Finnish league career
Kimmo Timonen began his professional ice hockey career in 1991, joining KalPa in Finland's top-tier league, the SM-liiga. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the tenth round, 250th overall, of the 1993 NHL Entry Draft. Despite being drafted, he continued to play in Finland for several years. He was the youngest player to represent Finland at the 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships at the age of 17, where he recorded the second-highest shot total in the tournament with 44. In 1994, he transferred to TPS, where he won one league championship in the 1994-95 SM-liiga season and was a runner-up twice. For the 1997-98 SM-liiga season, Timonen played for HIFK, securing his second Finnish league championship. He also participated in the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics with the Finnish Olympic team, earning a bronze medal. Shortly after the Olympics, the Kings traded him to the Nashville Predators organization.
1.2. NHL career
Timonen's extensive National Hockey League career saw him play for three different franchises, establishing himself as a reliable and productive defenseman.
1.2.1. Nashville Predators
Kimmo Timonen's NHL rights were acquired by the Nashville Predators from the Los Angeles Kings in a trade that also sent Jan Vopat to Nashville, with the understanding that the Predators would not select Garry Galley in the 1998 NHL Expansion Draft. During the 1998-99 NHL season, Timonen split his time between the Predators and their IHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals. The following season, he became a full-time NHL player. He spent his first eight NHL seasons with the Predators, consistently improving his offensive production over four seasons until the 2004-05 NHL lockout. During the lockout, Timonen returned to his hometown team, KalPa, which he partly owned alongside former Flyers teammate Sami Kapanen. He also convinced teammate Adam Hall to play for KalPa during this period. On October 3, 2006, Timonen was named the captain of the Nashville Predators for the 2006-07 NHL season. This season proved to be a career best for him, as he achieved new highs in both assists and total points.
1.2.2. Philadelphia Flyers
Following the 2006-07 NHL season, Kimmo Timonen was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. Shortly after, he signed a six-year contract extension worth 37.80 M USD, which at the time made him the highest-paid Finnish player in the NHL. His younger brother, Jussi Timonen, was playing for the Flyers' AHL affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, although Jussi was later traded to the Dallas Stars early in the 2007-08 NHL season.
During the 2008 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flyers advanced by defeating the Washington Capitals 4-3 and the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. In Game 4 of the series against Montreal, Timonen was hit on the foot by a wrist shot from Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov. Experiencing numbness, he was later diagnosed with a small blood clot in his foot on May 8, which sidelined him indefinitely. He missed the first four games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins but returned for Game 5, though the Flyers ultimately lost the series.
In the 2009-10 NHL season, Timonen led all NHL defensemen with two shorthanded goals. That year, he made his first appearance in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals, where the Flyers were defeated by the Chicago Blackhawks in a six-game series. He scored his 100th career goal on March 5, 2011, against the Buffalo Sabres, and finished the season tied with Marc Staal for the most shorthanded goals among defensemen with two. On March 1, 2012, he recorded his 500th career point with an assist against the New York Islanders. Timonen played his 1,000th NHL game on March 18, 2013, which was also his 37th birthday.
1.2.3. Chicago Blackhawks and Stanley Cup victory
While preparing for the 2014-15 NHL season, on August 5, 2014, Kimmo Timonen was diagnosed with blood clots in both of his lungs and his right leg. The severity of this condition sidelined him indefinitely with the Philadelphia Flyers. After missing the first 62 games of the season and returning to health, Timonen was traded by the Flyers to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 27, 2015, in exchange for a 2015 second-round pick and a 2016 conditional fourth-round pick. He concluded his tenure with the Flyers as the third most productive defenseman in franchise history, having accumulated 270 points in 519 games. On March 21, 2015, he played in his 1,100th NHL game.
On March 5, Timonen announced his intention to retire from professional hockey after the 2014-15 season. His career culminated on June 15, 2015, when he won his first Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in the final game of his 20-year career. During the championship celebration, Timonen was the first player to receive the Stanley Cup after captain Jonathan Toews. Reflecting on this momentous achievement, Timonen stated, "I was dreaming about this moment for a long time, and it's right here. This game has given me so much, and I'm relieved, happy, ready to leave this game, and I'm leaving this game as a Stanley Cup champion." He was the last active player in the NHL from the 1993 NHL Entry Draft.
In February 2016, then-President Barack Obama hosted the Stanley Cup-winning Blackhawks team at the White House. During his speech, Obama unexpectedly singled out Timonen for praise, stating: "You all know the big names on this team, seven players were here for all three titles, the guys you've heard me talk about twice before, so today I actually wanna give the spotlight to two of the unsung heroes on this team, and they're the kind of guys that are behind the scenes of every winning team in sports and beyond. First there is Kimmo Timonen. Now Kimmo already had a great career before last season. He had been to the Stanley Cup final, Olympic final, World Championship final - he had lost them all... In August he was diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and his calf, he wasn't even sure he'd play again. He was traded to Chicago mid-season, fought back on the ice, his final NHL game, at the age of 40, Kimmo finally hoisted the Cup. And that, first of all, as an old guy, it makes me feel good, but it's also a sign of a great career when somebody who's just able to stick with it and consistently contribute and make a huge difference, so give Kimmo a big one!"
Timonen later commented on this unexpected recognition to the Finnish state broadcasting company YLE: "This was absolutely a total surprise, and he really made a funny speech, and even to get a mention from him was such an honor for me, and then, of course, when he took a stand on my problems with blood clots, and when you think of what kind of a program I had to go through before I could put my skates on again, it really stirs some powerful feelings in an old man like me, I must admit. And the Stanley Cup victory brought with it some great things that I got to do, and for sure, this was one thing that I absolutely wanted to experience, and I'll certainly remember this for the rest of my life."
1.3. International career
Kimmo Timonen had an extensive international career representing Finland in numerous major tournaments. He participated in five Olympic tournaments, seven World Championships, and two World Cups.
His Olympic achievements include a silver medal at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, and bronze medals at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. In the World Championships, he earned silver medals in 1998 (Switzerland), 1999 (Norway), and 2001 (Germany). He also secured a silver medal at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey in Toronto, where he led the Finnish team in scoring with six points, ranking fifth overall in the tournament.
Earlier in his career, Timonen also competed in three IIHF World Junior Championships, including the 1993 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 1994 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and two IIHF European U18 Championships.
2. Personal life
Kimmo Timonen is married to Johanna Timonen, and they have three children. After retiring from professional hockey, he became a businessman, owning several restaurants and nightclubs in his hometown of Kuopio, Finland.
3. Awards and honors
Kimmo Timonen received numerous accolades throughout his career, including individual awards, team championships, and post-career recognitions.
3.1. Individual awards
Kimmo Timonen received numerous individual accolades throughout his career. In 1994, he was selected as a First Team All-Star at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He was awarded the Matti Keinonen trophy in 1997 for achieving the best plus-minus rating in the Finnish SM-liiga. In 2005, he was elected the Most Valuable Player in the Mestis playoffs.
In the NHL, Timonen was named to the National Hockey League All-Star Game five times: in 2000 (though he was unable to play due to injury), 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2012. He also won the Barry Ashbee Trophy, awarded to the Philadelphia Flyers' best defenseman, five times: in 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
3.2. Team awards
Kimmo Timonen's team achievements include:
- Two-time Kanada-malja champion:
- 1995 with TPS
- 1998 with HIFK
- 2005 Mestis champion with KalPa
- 2015 Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks
3.3. Honors and inductions
Kimmo Timonen has received significant honors recognizing his contributions to ice hockey. On December 3, 2016, his jersey number 44 was retired by his former club, KalPa, where he began his professional career. In 2019, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association also retired his number 44 for the national team.
In February 2020, Timonen was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame, becoming the 21st Finnish player to be honored. The induction ceremony, originally scheduled for the 2020 IIHF World Championship, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and eventually took place during the 2022 IIHF World Championship.
4. Career statistics
4.1. 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 | ||||
4.2. International
| 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 | Bronze | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1998 | Finland | WC | Silver | 10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 4 | |
| 1999 | Finland | WC | Silver | 10 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 2001 | Finland | WC | Silver | 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 | Silver | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2005 | Finland | WC | 7th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| 2006 | Finland | OG | Silver | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2010 | Finland | OG | Bronze | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Finland | OG | Bronze | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 31 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 16 | ||||
| Senior totals | 93 | 14 | 36 | 50 | 46 | ||||
5. Impact and evaluation
Kimmo Timonen's career is widely regarded for his exceptional skill as a defenseman, his longevity, and his remarkable perseverance in overcoming significant health challenges. His offensive prowess was notable, as evidenced by his 117 career goals in the NHL, which tied Teppo Numminen for the most by a Finnish defenseman, a feat he achieved in 264 fewer games than Numminen.
A defining moment of his career was his comeback from a severe blood clot diagnosis in 2014, which threatened to end his career. His successful return to play and subsequent Stanley Cup victory in his final game, at the age of 40, became a powerful narrative of determination. This achievement garnered unexpected recognition from then-President Barack Obama, who publicly lauded Timonen's resilience during a White House ceremony for the Chicago Blackhawks, praising his ability to "stick with it and consistently contribute and make a huge difference" despite facing immense obstacles.
Timonen's impact extends beyond his statistics and awards; he was the last active player in the NHL from the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, a testament to his enduring presence in the league. His retirement as a Stanley Cup champion, combined with his long and decorated international career, solidified his legacy as one of Finland's most respected and accomplished ice hockey players.