Kimmo Timonen

Article from NHLPA.com
Friday, October 28, 2005

Whether it's in the broadcast booth, in the owner's box, or on the ice, few players have experienced the game of hockey the way Kimmo Timonen has.

He almost chose another sport over hockey, but Timonen, who hails from Kuopio, located in the province of Eastern Finland and the region of Northern Savonia, hasn't regretted the decision he made nearly 15 years ago.

"I loved playing soccer and lots of other sports when I was growing up in Finland," said the 30-year-old Timonen, who also excelled in tennis and golf. "I was still playing soccer when I was 17. At that point, I had to choose between hockey and soccer."

For Timonen, competing on various playing fields was a key contributor in strengthening his skills on the rink. Having a well-rounded approach to athletics is something he firmly believes in.

"I think whatever you do, sports-wise, it only helps you as a hockey player," offered Timonen. "I do some hockey schools in the summer in Finland. A lot of parents will ask if they think their children should play other sports. I always say they should play whatever they want and not only focus on hockey. Soccer, tennis - whatever kids want to do, they should do it.

"I don't know exactly why I chose hockey," he continued. "But I guess it's worked out well."

That would be quite the understatement.

Timonen, who spent several years with his hometown Kalpa club and TPS Turku, launched his National Hockey League career in 1988-99, as a member of the Nashville Predators' defensive corps.

Originally drafted 250th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 1993, Timonen opted to stay in his native Finland. In 1998, he helped his country win the bronze medal at the Nagano Olympics. A few months later, he was traded to the expansion Predators, the team he has played his entire NHL career with.

Timonen adjusted well to the NHL and helped Nashville stay competitive in their first season. At season's end, he had contributed 12 points, along with a respectable minus-four rating.

While he felt right at home on the ice, it took Timonen and his family some time to feel comfortable in their new surroundings.

"The first couple of years were a little tough because it's so different from back home," said Timonen, who contributed 33 points in his second NHL campaign. "Nashville is a great place. We love it here."

But it's not only on the blueline and in the community where Timonen feels comfortable.

A veteran of the international hockey scene, including three World Junior Championships appearances, seven at the World Championships, two Winter Olympics and two trips to the World Cup tournament, Timmonen found himself in quite an unfamiliar position at the 2000 Worlds.

"I was actually hurt that year, I had broken my ankle," he recalled. "I couldn't play for the National Team, so the local TV station called me and asked if I wanted to do some television work. I said, 'That might be a good experience, so I'll try it.' I was there for five days."

Calling it like it is, however, isn't quite as easy it might seem.

"It was kind of hard because if someone makes a bad play, you don't want to criticize them too much," admitted Timonen, of his lone commentating experience. "If something went wrong, you try and say at least something nice. But it's tough because you want to be truthful. I knew a couple of guys very well - they are some of my best buddies. We all make mistakes on the ice, so it's tough to point that out.

"It was pretty cool, though, because you get to see the guys and the game from a very different perspective."

Timonen admits to battling a few butterflies before going live.

"I was more nervous doing the broadcast work then playing hockey. There were some great people that I knew from before doing the broadcast, so they helped make it easier for me. I think it turned out pretty well."

His on-air efforts weren't the only thing he was being applauded for.

In 2000-01, the savvy rearguard helped Nashville improve to 80 points and scored 12 goals, including six on the power-play. The offensively gifted defenceman improved his output to 42 points in 2001-02 and 40 points in 2002-03, despite missing 12 games due to injury.

With five seasons under his belt, Timonen established a career high in points with 44 during the 2003-04 season and helped lead the Preds' to their first playoff appearance in franchise history.

Now, expectations are higher than ever for one of hockey's quickest and most offensively talented squads. Add a world-class goaltender in Tomas Vokoun into the mix, and the Predators have all the ingredients to make some noise in 2005-06 and beyond.

Timonen is certainly in game-shape, having worn three different jerseys during the lockout, including KalPa Kuopio (Finland-2), the team in which he has partial ownership, along with fellow NHLPA member Sami Kapanen.

After playing three games with HC Lugano (Swiss League), before joining Brynas (Sweden), Timonen helped KalPa capture the Mestis league championship, appearing in 12 regular-season games, finishing eighth among Mestis defencemen in scoring with 17 points.

"It came together about four years ago," said the defenceman, of his foray into the ownership ranks. "I always wanted to do something for my hometown. The team kind of raised me, hockey-wise. They gave me the chance to grow up and play hockey. I always wanted to return what they did for me."

Timonen can take great pride in knowing he has more than lived up to those words.