The Flyers defenseman is starting his comeback attempt after being diagnosed with blood clots in his lungs and right calf.
His first step was Friday morning - skating all by himself for 40 minutes with general manager Ron Hextall watching closely.
"It was kinda weird feeling this morning. I was kinda nervous that hopefully I wouldn't fall down right away. It was kinda weird but I was looking forward to this morning and I couldn't really sleep," said Timonen.
So when can Flyers fans expect Timonen to play in his first game? Probably in two or three weeks.
Timonen plans to skate on his own for the next 10 days then he believes he'll need four or five practices with the team to get in game shape.
"Skating by yourself is still different than skating with the team, battling the corners with someone coming after you, we're still far away from that," said Timonen.
"We would love to get him back sooner or later. He's a very good d-man. He's been around a long time so it's going to be exciting," said Luke Schenn.
You can't question the 39-year-ol's commitment to the game and his teammates in the locker room.
While Timonen has been told the risk is minimal, he is still skating with chronic clots in his leg.
"This is my last year so I want to retire with skates on not my shoes. Like I said, I still want to leave the game on my own terms," said Timonen.
And Timonen will finally get that shot - a shot he didn't know was possible just weeks ago.