Here is the complete Kimmo Timonen transcript from the Flyers regarding his return to the ice:

Kimmo Timonen Press Conference

Flyers D Kimmo Timonen

Ron Hextall: “Hi guys. I’m sure you have all heard now we are here to announce that Kimmo is going to skate tomorrow morning with the intent of coming back and resuming his career.”

Start with from the last time, what was it you needed?

Ron Hextall: “It was just a process. There were a lot of people involved, doctors involved, Kimmo making sure on his side, us making sure on his side, there was just a lot of communication. Obviously, doctors involved, specialists involved, and everything else so it has been a long process but in the end Kimmo feels comfortable, we feel comfortable that the risk is minimal. Obviously every time you step on the ice there is risk but we all feel the risk is minimal. The plan as of now is that he skates tomorrow morning, by himself, and then we’ll go from there.”

If there was, did someone feel comfortable first in that process? Did Kimmo feel comfortable, and then you feel comfortable?

Kimmo Timonen: “Well let me say first of all it has been a long process. I’m sure Hexy every time he sees my face it’s “oh that guy again.” But you know, like in September I said there is a little chance to get back on the ice, hopefully in February. I kept that hope alive, worked out really hard, and meeting all of the doctors, Hexy, and the specialists I feel really confident about skating and coming back.”

Do you still have blood clots in your calf, and if so can you play with them?

Kimmo Timonen: “Well like I said this process has been so long and if I start telling you all of the details you guys are going to miss the game. Well it’s probably easier if I skate tomorrow; I’m available tomorrow if you want to do one-on-one’s, or whatever you guys want. It will take a little bit of time to tell me what’s going on and there are some private things I don’t want to tell, it’s not really your business.”

With just that basic question, do you still have blood clots in your calf?

Kimmo Timonen: “It’s called chronic, so the chronic means they won’t move ever. So they stay in there forever and they are not moving around.”

Do you have to be on blood thinners now for quite a while?

“Well we have a plan. Again, that’s something I don’t want to talk about, it’s a private matter between me and my doctor. I think the biggest thing you guys need to know is the bleeding factor. I’ve seen a couple articles that want to say “well what happens if Kimmo gets cut on the ice”? There is no bleeding factor because on game days I can’t be on blood thinners obviously. I’m as much at risk as any player out there. That’s the biggest thing you guys need to know, then everything I want to keep it between me and my doctor.”

How soon do you think before you can play?

Kimmo Timonen: “Well I haven’t skated in eight months so we will see when I step on the ice tomorrow and skate. Hopefully seven to ten days by myself and hopefully with the team and we’ll go from there. Let me get on the ice first and see how I feel.”

Is there any chance at all that you change your mind about at least looking into the possibility of playing next year at some point?

Kimmo Timonen: “No not next year. Like I said in September there’s a small chance to come back this year, and that’s it. I’m really excited about today, you know it’s been a long process and a lot of meetings with different people and I’m just looking forward to tomorrow.”

Is this only about leaving the game with your skates on so to speak? The status of this team and where it is in the standings, does any of that factor?

Kimmo Timonen: “No, like I said in September again I signed a one-year deal and I wanted to come out hard and play well and leave this game on a high note and it’s still the case. I want to come back and hopefully play a game and leave this game with my skates on, that’s probably the biggest thing.”

Could you play everyday, or every game? Obviously it sounds like you have to have some type of medication, so are there times when you won’t be able to play back-to-back?

Kimmo Timonen: “It shouldn’t be, you know if I get back I get back. Like I said I haven’t skated for eight months so it’s going to take me a good two weeks to get my legs going. I’m in shape I feel like but we all know skating is a little different than riding a bike. I just go day-by-day. We talked with the coaches, Hexy, the training staff, medical staff, and we go from there. I can’t given you an estimation when the first game might be, I’m just excited to get on the ice tomorrow.”

Some doctors think it’s too risky if you come back, what do you say to them?

Kimmo Timonen: “Well it’s their opinion. There are some doctors I talked to and those are doctors I am going to trust. I’m sure there is a thousand different opinions but there are some specialists I have to trust and I go from there.”

Were there different opinions with the doctors that talked to you? This decision was delayed a couple of days, is that because it was a split decision from some doctors?

Kimmo Timonen: “Like Hexy said we talked to a bunch of different doctors. We all know I had a blood disorder in my family and it’s in me. Obviously when we talk about these things we need to talk to the blood disorder doctors and those doctors are all in the same boat with me. They are agree with me to step on the ice and maybe play a game on day.”

I presume your family is all involved with all this as well?

Kimmo Timonen: “No, my wife doesn’t know anything about this.”

I mean in terms of them coming to grips with this and being okay with it, all of the medical aspects?

Kimmo Timonen: “I mean it’s been six months so obviously I have lots of time to think about different things. I’ve been really busy with my son’s hockey and traveling with him so it’s been really good kind of off time, but at the same time I’ve been able to practice, workout, and thing about hockey and the things I miss. I still miss the game, I miss competing and that’s probably the biggest thing on back I like the game and I like to compete. I just want to feel that one more time.”

Ron, from the hockey side what does Kimmo Timonen bring to the team?

Ron Hextall: “Well I think he brings a lot. I think up to this point in the year it’s pretty evident how much we have missed Kimmo. It’s not only on the ice it’s off the ice: it’s intangible, it’s the locker room, the work ethic, the professionalism, and everything he brings; then obviously his presence on the ice. So we have missed him a ton and we are looking forward to having him back.”

Is there a question in strong-arming this and saying no I don’t want to take this risk?

Ron Hextall: “You know what this wasn’t mine to strong-arm, this was mine to watch the process and see where the professionals guide us. I got to tell you, late summer I wasn’t very optimistic and Kimmo was. It was funny I think it was mid-August, and he said I’m going to play again, and I though oh I don’t know, I don’t think so. But, it’s not for me to make the decision, it’s for me to take all of the information and say okay is it prudent of us to put him on the ice and is it prudent for Kimmo to make the decision to go back on the ice. I wasn’t very comfortable with it the whole time until we started getting to the end and started talking to the experts and the people that understand what Kimmo has. As the process went along here I became very comfortable. As I said is there risk, of course there is risk, with every player on the ice there is risk. But the risk is minimal enough where we feel it is more than reasonable, and Kimmo feels it is more than reasonable or he wouldn’t be going out there, because I wasn’t. My nature at the start, because I have been around the game a long time, was to be not optimistic. But again, the doctors and medical professionals telling you the same thing about the risk, then you’re like you know what it’s reasonable.”

Hexy, you talked about the risk. Is there any waiver you have to sign to eliminate the team from any risk?

Ron Hextall: “There is a CBA, and there are things behind the scenes there in place to cover up everything like that.”

What was the final decision made, and what was the last hurdle?

Ron Hextall: “The final decision was made today. We got through it through some stuff and Kimmo and I. I’ve actually felt like I’ve gotten to know him well, and I can tell you he is as stubborn as a mule, which is a good thing, it’s why he is almost forty years old and still playing the game. The final decision was today we just got a couple of last things done that we needed to get done and again it’s more of the comfort level of everybody involved. There was a process that we went through to get there and we’re there now and we’re pretty excited about it.”

How long has your mind changed on this, how many days or weeks?

Ron Hextall: “I felt like a few weeks ago there was a chance that this was going to happen. There are a lot of people you have to talk to and Kimmo had to see obviously the professionals and we all went through this process. The one thing we weren’t going to do was make a rash decision, we were going to get through the whole process and all of the information and gather all of the opinions we felt necessary, and we are at that point now. It was a slow process, I can tell you at times Kimmo was frustrated and so was I. I think we are all happy where we are today.”

Was it a slow process partially because there were a lot of mixed opinions from doctors?

Ron Hextall: “No, no, no. Kimmo stated that the doctors we listened to were pretty much on the same page. Doctors all being on the same page, kind of steered us in the direction that this was reasonable risk. Like I said every player that steps on the ice has risk, and does Kimmo of course he does, but it is minimal just like every other player. The bleeding thing he already explained to you. So it took a lot to get be comfortable but you keep hearing the same thing over and over again from the doctors and medical people and you get comfortable with it and I feel very comfortable with where we are at.”

Kimmo you will not be the first player to play with blood clots there’s been other guys before. Did you talk to them at all and lean on them, and if not does knowing that other guys have make you a little bit more comfortable?

Kimmo Timonen: “Yeah I’ve talked to them a few times and you know they actually went to see the same doctor that I did. They have been doing great since, and that’s one of the first steps I took to talk to these players that went through the same stuff. There is a question about why it took so long, well I was on medicine for six months, and I had to finish the medicine so there is no speeding up that process. It couldn’t be any faster than this. Again I’m sure there’s a lot of questions and I’m sure you guys want to go see the rest of the game so I am open tomorrow if you guys want to talk but we could be here half and hour to forty five minutes, but I can do it tomorrow too if you guys want.”

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