The 40-year old defenseman received the Stanley Cup from Jonathan Toews, who tipped him off this would happen at the morning skate, as the Chicago Blackhawks began their celebrations. When Timonen was ready to pass it off, his teammates told him to go give it a skate, and he did, planting one more kiss on the trophy before handing it to Antoine Vermette.

Monday was Timonen’s final day in the NHL. After working his way back after being diagnosed with blood clots last August, the Finnish blueliner will now hang up his skates as a champion, something he hasn’t been able to call himself before.

In Timonen’s decorated hockey career, he owns an Olympic silver medal; a silver from the 2004 World Cup of Hockey; three silvers from the World Championships; and lost to the Blackhawks in the 2010 Stanley Cup Final as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers....

“It’s been a long journey, I can tell you that,” said Timonen after Chicago’s 2-0 win in Game 6 over the Tampa Bay Lightning. “Last August, I didn’t know if I could play anymore, but my desire was so deep inside that I wanted to get one more shot…I just had to have so many meetings [with doctors] and so many different things to get to this level and [for] this to happen.”