TIMONEN IN GOOD SPIRITS, BUT STILL NOT CLEARED FOR TRAVEL

After being treated at Kuopio University Hospital in Finland, Kimmo Timonen continues to recover from blood clots in his lungs and leg. He is still not medically cleared to travel, however, so medical examination by Flyers team doctors will have to wait a little longer.

The player was initially told he'd have to wait at least three weeks to go overseas but his recovery has progressed well thus far. Physically, he feels well but his treatment course with blood thinners is going to take many months. It will not be known for quite awhile if or when the 39-year-old player will be able to resume his hockey career.

"I have to put life ahead of sports right now," Timonen told Finnish news outlet YLE. "It's going to take months. Let's just say that time will tell whether I can or can't be a hockey player. If, at some point, I get to where I am given the green light then I no doubt will continue to play.... Hockey has been such a big part of my life for so long that I don't want to just give that up."

Timonen told YLE he was overwhelmed by the level of support he received from friends, relatives and hockey fans, and he read and responded to as many text messages and emails as possible during his hospitalization.

ALUMNI BIRTHDAYS: AUGUST 18

Forbes Kennedy, a gritty and tough original Flyer who led the team in penalty minutes each of the first two seasons in franchise history, turns 79 today.

Bruce Cowick, who has his name on the Stanley Cup as a Flyers callup player during the 1974 playoffs, turns 63.

Right winger Brian Dobbin, who spent brief parts of four seasons with the Flyers in the mid-to-late 1980s, turns 48. Dobbin was later part of the trade with the Boston Bruins that sent Gord Murphy to the Bruins and brought Garry Galley to Philly.

Defenseman Ossi Väänänen turns 34 today. Signed as a free agent before the 2008-09 season, Väänänen played in 46 games for the club, posting 10 points and a plus-seven rating while averaging 15:01 of ice time on the third pairing. The Flyers put him on waivers in February 2009 to have some flexibility in their salary cap management. The Vancouver Canucks claimed the veteran defenseman. A frequent member of Team Finland, Väänänen is still an active player. Currently, he is the captain of Jokerit Helsinki.

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