Numminen to retire

by James Mirtle on Aug 4, 2009 11:54 AM CDT Comment 9 comments

A reader over in Finland offers a rough translation of the following article:

Teppo Numminen has decided to hang up his skates. He told Finnish newspaper Suomen Kuvalehti that the 82 game season was starting to feel too onerous for him during the 2008-09 season. He had some restrictions from doctors after the heart operation he went through (e.g. he wasn't allow to lift weights normally) and it has affected his game. He has to take blood pressure medicines as well.

"I had to take a mental step backwards when the medicines remind me all the time about the condition," Numminen said. "The level of my game decreased and my skating speed slowed down. Sometimes I was very tired.

"If somebody had told me [in the beginning] that I would be playing in the NHL at the age of 40 and have a total of 1,454 games in my pocket, I wouldn't have believed it. What can you do but just wonder and be grateful of it?"

Jari Kurri of the Finnish Olympic team has asked Numminen to work as a scout during the NHL season.

Numminen's been around a long, long time, and despite missing all but one game the season before last, is 38th all-time in NHL games played. In a bit of a quirky stat, he's been on the ice for more goals against than all but 21 players.

Numminen broke into the league with the Winnipeg Jets 21 years ago and played eight seasons in Manitoba and another seven once the club moved to Phoenix. He leads that franchise, by far, in total games played, with 1,098 games as a Jet or Coyote.

Numminen was the last remaining active player of the 252 chosen in the 1986 draft and has played more regular season NHL games than any other European-trained player.

He's also well out in first in terms of NHL games played by a Finnish player (only three have ever played 1,000 games) and I've heard from more than one hockey fan over there today mourning the loss.

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God bless you, Teppo.

Your career was distinguished enough to the point where didn’t have to come back after your surgery, but you tried to and succeeded. That will always mean something.

I could get into how I wish the Sabres could have treated you better, but now’s not the time for that. Good luck, Teppo.

by Afino on Aug 4, 2009 12:12 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

My son will be CRUSHED

He had latched onto Teppo as his player, I think because of his name, and he will be sorely missed at the Tick household. I’ll have a post on him later. Maybe he’ll catch on as a coach somewhere.

Honk if you love Justice!
"I'm betting that I'm just abnormal enough to survive. "

by TheTick on Aug 4, 2009 12:12 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

mourning? crying describes more what I was doing…

miss u, CR baby...u want 2 get back 2gether? - now with lots of Ducks love

by sleza on Aug 4, 2009 12:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

And another Jet bites the dust...

On the plus side, good on Teppo for giving ‘er a go after losing an entire year to heart surgery. You get the feeling that if not for that, he’d still be chugging along.

Also nice to see that Jari immediately gave him another way to help his national team and stay in the game.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Aug 4, 2009 5:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I’m getting the feeling today, hearing from Finns, that Numminen is a legend over there. I guess a role with the national team was a given.

Blogging on hockey at fromtherink.com

by James Mirtle on Aug 4, 2009 5:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can imagine; I spent ten minutes thinking and doing some cursory poking around, but I can’t come up with a better Finnish defenceman. I dunno if he’s the Finnish Bobby Orr, but he’s at least the Finnish Scott Niedermayer.

SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there)

by Doogie2K on Aug 4, 2009 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Along with Saku Koivu, he could be the most loved player ever here in Finland. We love guys with heart, who doesn’t? Maybe he wasn’t that high profile – he was less known everywhere than his level of play suggests because of his playing style, and he rarely came to the Worlds so Finns who don’t follow the NHL didn’t see him play often. But his longevity did make him one of those guys that everyone has at least heard of, and I think his tearful yet courageous interview after the Torino final loss sealed the deal and endeared him to everyone.

by Malurous on Aug 5, 2009 8:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It was really impressive to see him come back.

Despite his age he was actually pretty good in Buffalo, especially the two years following the lock out. He is still an all right player, but can no longer play the minutes that would be required of him.

Blue and Gold (of Buffalo)

by Ebscer on Aug 5, 2009 10:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs