There was no real advancement in terms of "news" today during the Kimmo Timonen news conference.
Flyers GM Ron Hextall said in August he had to prepare for the possibility Timonen would not play. That's why the club signed Michael Del Zotto.
Craig Berube told me last week he was going into camp with two, new d-pairs to try out and that was necessary since Timonen wasn't there.
That Timonen didn't announce his retirement should not surprise. For him to do so right now would shaft the Flyers and guarantee a $2 million salary cap hit this season.
By not doing anything, he goes on LTIR ala Chris Pronger and the Flyers get to use his money. It's dumb, it's insulting to Timonen and Pronger and every NHL player that has a legit, career-ending injury and can't retire because of the clauses in the CBA, but it's hockey.
If you want my analysis and what we had to say on CSNPhilly.com, click here.
click here
Regardless, here's the full transcript from Timonen and Hextall today, courtesy of the Flyers:
Flyers GM Ron Hextall
I wish I had more for you guys today in terms of a black and white answer. I wish we were here to announce that Kimmo was going to continue his career. But we are going to announce neither. We’ve been through a process here with our doctors and our medical staff where we really don’t have any definitive answers. The one definitive we have is that Kimmo will not play for a period of time here, meaning months, and we’ll have a follow-up appointment probably somewhere early in the new year to basically show the progress that he’s made with regards to the blood clots. Hopefully everything’s clear and then we move on to the next step. Whether Kimmo will play or not, we don’t know at this point. It will be more of a wait and see, wait and see how his clots have cleared up and then kind of move along the process from there. First and foremost as an organization, we’re concerned about Kimmo, his health, his family. And then secondly comes the hockey part. We would never put him in danger. On the other hand, if we feel at that point that he is capable of playing, we will certainly welcome him back later in the year, assuming things go as we hope.
Flyers D Kimmo Timonen
I was thinking about what I should say. Probably the easiest way is to go with what happened and go from there. I had a great summer until the first week of August. I was having real calf pain for two days. Went to a buddy of mine who’s a doctor, and I thought I had a pulled muscle, something like that. It was really swollen. They sent me to the ultrasound specialist and from there I was in the hospital pretty quick. So up until that point, I was really excited about this year, and really put a good effort to play my last year really well. But then everything changed. Like Hexy said, it’s going to take months to see if the clots are gone or if they’re still there. We don’t know. Nobody knows. And my desire is always I want to play. But the chance of me playing is really slim. That’s the fact. But I’m ready to wait that chance, to see how I feel. If I still have those clots, in time, who knows when. But you know I’ve been seeing a lot of doctors and there are different opinions about it. We all know I have a clot disorder in my family. So that’s playing a big part moving forward. But again, we don’t know. My desire is to play but obviously like Hexy said, I have to listen to doctors and see what’s safe here. We don’t know anything else now but just to wait and see.
What have you heard from the doctor’s about the time frame?
Well like I said, time will tell. There’s different opinions how long it’s going to take. Everyone’s opinions are different. So it could take 3 months, 6 months, could take a year, could take 2 years. Who knows. So that’s why we have to wait and see months.
If it were to take 2 years?
I wouldn’t be here discussing about playing hockey. This is my last year. And what happens down the road, we can’t see it. There’s no doctor who’s going to say you’re going to be good in 6 months because we don’t know it.
How are you feeling now?
I feel very good. I’ve been on blood thinners right now, but it’s really good. Obviously it’s tough to take because I’m able to practice, I’m able to run. But I’ve got to avoid everything contact. So obviously hockey, if I can go out there and nobody’s hitting me, I can play. But I don’t think that’s going to be the possibility.
Are the blood clots totally gone? Or you’re not sure right now?
No I’m sure they’re still there. It’s only been five weeks. It was the first week of August when I was checked into the hospital. And like I said, it’s very individually different. Could be three months, could be couple of weeks, could be six months. So until time goes by, we don’t know.
What kind of test do you take to see if the blood clots are gone?
Well back in hospital, the ultrasound can see everything from calf up. But when it goes to your lungs, it’s called a CT scan. And what kind of tests we’re going to do in time, I don’t know. We haven’t got that far. But the only thing I know, I have to wait. Probably the biggest thing here is we don’t know if I can play. But I’m going to wait, and if there’s a little chance that’s a safe way for me to step on the ice, then we have a new discussion. But so far, we don’t know.
What percent did the doctors say you can play this year? If you could play next year, would you?
I haven’t really thought that far. It’s been such a weird five weeks. I was getting ready for the season. I was feeling really good. I was doing some exercises I haven’t done for years. So everything changed in two days. And now it’s a new chapter in my life and I just have to wait.
You said this in your family history. Have you ever come across this (blood clots) before? I know in the 08 playoffs you had a clot but you had blocked a slap shot there.
It was obvious that it was out there. I probably haven’t told this to anybody before, but now it’s out there after this. My mom has it at home. My brothers have it. And you know obviously I’ve had it all my life and you know the previous clots, there’s usually some kind of trauma there. You get hit by the puck. You know, slashing, whatever. And there’s been bleeding and I might get some kind of clot but these are always, once it goes in your lungs, it’s a whole different story than have superficial clot or that kind of stuff.
Do you know if anything triggered this one?
Well that’s probably part of the process. We’re trying to find out. But right now, it came out of the blue. But we get time now. And if it clears away, and we can try to find out, we will. But that might be something we never know.
How hard is it, as a competitor, will it be waiting to get on the ice?
Well that’s why I said it’s been a weird, weird five weeks. Because like I said I was doing well and really looking forward to my last year, and really looking forward to the chance to play for the Stanley Cup again for my last time. It’s been really weird. It probably hasn’t hit me that hard yet. But I’m sure when hockey starts, and guys step on the ice, and competition starts, I’ll probably feel different. But I’m ok now.
If it gets to your lungs, is it different than being in your calf or foot?
The day I checked into the hospital, I skated that day. And I had a little feeling that something was a little off. I went in the hospital. It was late Monday night. I didn’t really talk to any of the doctors there Monday night. But Tuesday morning there was a really good doctor who played sports and he came up to me and said he was trying to put this in a way that I would understand where we were. First thing he said was people die from this kind of stuff. Then it hit me that it was really dangerous. Luckily it wasn’t as bad of a clot as it could have been. With good help and a good heart. Being in good shape, it probably saved my life. I’m in better shape now than I probably would have been in a different position.
I assume you’re going to want to try to stay in shape to come back if you’re able to. What can you do?
Based on the doctors, I can do anything else except contact sports. I told my wife I can’t clean any dishes or vacuum or anything like that.
Speaking of your wife, I know you consulted with your family before you signed this season. What was their reaction to this situation?
We were all confused. The Monday I was checked into the hospital I called her and told her I was on the way to the hospital because I knew at that point I had a deep pain blood clot in my calf. But I didn’t know at that time it was in my lung times. I checked into the hospital and called her after the CT scan. And obviously everything changed. I was worried. We didn’t know what was going to happen. It was late, and she was going to bed. But then Tuesday or Wednesday that when the doctors were able to tell how we were going to move forward, we were all fine. But she was really worried.
If the tests show the clots are gone later down the road, will you still have to be on blood thinners?
Well down the road, based on the doctors, I probably have to be on the blood thinners for the rest of my life. But that’s not 100% sure yet. We have time here, four or five months. Whatever it is till the pre testing time. I’m sure these things are going to come up and we’re going to talk about it.
Is getting cut while on blood thinners a scary thought for you?
Well I still can’t do any dishes or vacuuming. We will see. To be honest, I haven’t thought that far ahead. It’s been such a weird five weeks. Just coming here and talking to Hexy and all of the doctors. Time will tell.
Did the doctors say if you have to be on thinners for the rest of your life, you are not allowed to play hockey?
I can’t play hockey. That’s 100%.
Athletes who get seriously injured later in their career try to get back because they want to leave on their own terms. If you can’t, how frustrating will that be?
Well it will be really disappointing. But we all know the facts. If the clot is still there, it’s really to easy to understand I can’t play. It’s clear to everybody that I can’t play and that’s it. But if it’s a different story that they’re gone, then we might have a different discussion if it’s safe for me to return. We don’t know that situation yet. But for sure, if I have to go and retire this way, it won’t be the way I wanted to leave.
Hextall
It’s funny. The first time I talked to him after we found out about the clots, the whole conversation was about, what if I can’t play, what if I can’t play, what if I can’t play. That’s the athlete coming out in him. And I said Kimmo, you’re still with us. You have a family. You have a wife. Your life is pretty good. You’ve also had a long career. So I think there’s two sides to it. There’s the professional side and there’s obviously the personal side. I guess what I’m trying to say here, this guy wants to play hockey so bad. Because he could’ve just told us I don’t feel comfortable even if things are great, I don’t feel comfortable anymore. I don’t want to continue to play. I think it’s a testament to how bad he wants to play and truly how much heart he has as an athlete. I know Kimmo a lot better now than I did last season just though this whole process. I admire him an awful lot just for his passion. For playing the game of hockey. And really the professional that he is. And its going to be a tough time for our team the first four months of the season or five months, whatever that is. But we need to move forward. He’s a pro. He shows up every game. Every practice he’s ready to go and works hard. And we’re going to miss that. Hopefully later in the season, hopefully we’ll get him back.
Timonen
If the one thing you can’t do is take contacts, do you intend to wear your red jersey and practice with your teammates?
Like I said again, there’s so much time. We’re talking about months. I wont be skating anytime soon. I can do workouts as hard as I want. There’s no limit how hard you can go. But skating wise, I don’t see what’s the hurry. It’s probably a different story when we move down the road. But right now, a couple months a head, I don’t think I need to skate.
Philadelphia Flyers Blogger • 
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