Kimmo Timonen has blood clots, return to playing hockey unknown

Well this is awful news.

Kimmo Timonen has blood clots in his right leg and lungs. "His return to play is yet to be determined." Please get well, Kimmo.

— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) August 5, 2014

The Flyers announced this unfortunate development with defenseman Kimmo Timonen this afternoon, saying that the blood clots are in his lower right leg and each of his lungs. He's back in Finland getting treatment.

Obviously, the hockey season is on the back burner with this scary injury. Frankly, given Kimmo's age and the fact that he's likely only playing one more NHL season anyway, it wouldn't be shocking if he just called it quits. Blood clots are obviously quite serious -- in fact, just yesterday news broke that blood clots in the lungs are forcing NFL guard Jason Pinkston, just 26 years old, to retire from the game.

Every case is different, of course, but that shows you just how serious these cases can be. On the flip side, Kimmo has dealt with blood clots in the past and recovered from them after missing just four games in the 2008 playoffs. Let's hope for a similar recovery, and that this is just a blip on the radar.

That's for both for his own personal health and the health of the Flyers, who frankly are quite screwed without him on an already-mediocre blue line next season.