Kimmo Timonen

Kimmo Timonen is a Finnish defenseman on the Philadelphia Flyers.

Timonen was drafted in 1993 by the Los Angeles Kings, but never played a game in LA. He remained with KalPa of the Finnish Sm-liiga, playing for TPS and HIFK before coming to the NHL in 1998.

By then, Timonen had been dealt to the Nashville Predators. Over the next 8 seasons, Timonen was the Predators’ best defenseman. He still holds the franchise record for assists and points with 222 and 301, respectively. Timonen was traded to Philadelphia in the offseason following the 2006-07 season and has provided an immediate contribution. Timonen was the point man on Philly’s powerplay and played an integral role in helping the Flyers reach the Conference Finals. Timonen was kept out of the Conference Finals matchup after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his foot.

Kimmo has played for Finland nearly his entire career. In 1993, he was the youngest Finnish player to ever play internationally at 17. He has played in 3 World Junior Championships and 7 World Championships. In 1998, he won bronze at the Nagano Olympics, as well as a silver medal in 2006. He also played in the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 1996 and 2004 World Cups.