The Chicago Blackhawks will host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday night, and yet again, defenseman Kimmo Timonen will sit in the press box as a healthy scratch.
He played 16 regular season games with the Blackhawks after being traded there at the trade deadline, and he’s played 15 playoff games — but none since the Western Conference Final. The threshold for earning your name on the Cup? 41 regular season games with the Cup-winning team, or one Stanley Cup Final game.
Kimmo’s not there. He’s retiring at the end of this season and has never won a Cup.
So unless he makes it into one of these next few games — barring an exception from the NHL — Kimmo will retire without his name on the Cup. He may get to lift it if the ‘Hawks win … but he’ll do it in a suit, after sitting out of game action for more than two weeks. It would not feel like the real thing. Frankly, it wouldn’t really be the real thing at all.
Kimmo talked to CBS Chicago about this on Monday, and the quotes will break your heart.
“The dream of winning was so bad, that I wanted to turn every stone,” Timonen said. “It was a long battle.”
“It’s frustrating,” Timonen said. “I can’t lie to you. It’s hard, I’m not lying to you. It is what it is.”
Does Timonen believe his play is worthy of ice time?
“Obviously not, because I’m not playing,” Timonen said. “That’s a sign.”
“The only thing I can say is I’ll try to stay ready and hope for my chance,” Timonen said. “I’ve played every final there is in the hockey world and am a five-time Olympian. It’s hard not to be playing, I can’t lie to you.”
Damn it.
