Photo courtesy of Amy Irvin/38Photography
After being sidelined all year with blood clots in his lungs and leg, Kimmo Timonen has been cleared to resume skating, the Flyers announced Thursday.
Timonen will be skating on his own for a period of seven-to-10 days, before joining the rest of the team. From there, a decision will be made as to his return to the lineup.
"It's been a long process," GM Ron Hextall said, "but in the end, Kimmo feels comfortable and we feel comfortable that the risk is minimal."
Timonen, 39, hasn't played since Game 7 of last year's first-round series against the New York Rangers, after being diagnosed with blood clots last summer.
He's maintained that he wants to end his career after walking off the ice with his "skates on," rather than being forced to leave due to injury. Whether or not Timonen will need to continue treatment on blood thinners is a matter that he will keep private, but for now, he and the Flyers organization have reason to be confident about his future.
"I kept that hope alive, I worked out really hard," Timonen said. "I feel really comfortable about skating and coming back."
Rob Riches is a contributor to Flyerdelphia. Follow him on Twitter @Riches61
