Flyers’ Timonen to resume skating Friday

Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – The Philadelphia Flyers announced Thursday that defenseman Kimmo Timonen will begin skating Friday.

The 39-year-old Timonen has not played since being diagnosed with blood clots in his leg and lungs in his native Finland back in early August.

Recently, Timonen underwent a series of tests in January to determine if he could attempt a comeback. He and the team had a series of meetings with doctors to evaluate and understand the results to see if there was a risk of returning to the ice.

Timonen, his mother and two brothers have a protein C deficiency, which causes a greater disposition to blood clots. According to the National Institutes of Health, a mild case of protein C deficiency affects 1 in 500 people.

In 77 games last season, Timonen posted six goals with 29 assists for 35 points.

Categorized in: NHL