Numminen passes a test
No red flags raised in physical exam
So Teppo Numminen walks into the doctor’s office, and nothing happens.
That sounds like it could be the start of a joke, but considering what transpired one year ago, it’s no laughing matter. Numminen had his life permanently altered the previous time the Buffalo Sabres conducted physicals. He learned his heart valve needed immediate replacement, and it cost him sleepless nights, a cracked-open chest and almost an entire hockey season.
Numminen went through the physical process again Friday in HSBC Arena. This time, he didn’t skip a beat.
“It’s special to be back. It’s an exciting day,” Numminen said. “I’ve been waiting for this. I feel good. I feel strong. I feel comfortable. I feel healthy. I feel normal. So everything’s going well.”
The defenseman had no problems with either the physical or the rigorous on-ice testing he and the Sabres underwent on the opening day of training camp. He knew he’d be fine. He recently visited his doctors at the Cleveland Clinic and passed their tests, too.
Next up is proving that a 40-year-old can return to the NHL after nearly a full year away. The first practice comes at 10 a. m. today in the arena when the Sabres celebrate “Puck Drop 2008,” a chance for fans to get a free look at their team’s opening scrimmage.
For Numminen, it’s not quite a full year away from hockey, which is why he and his teammates are confident he’ll be fine. He fought to get in shape all last winter and made an inspirational return in the season finale.
“It was a huge game,” Numminen said. “You realize maybe a week or two later how big it was to get that one game in, mentally and physical. Just being back there, playing in the league and just doing the things that you’ve been doing for a long time, it felt normal. It felt comfortable.
“You realize how much you miss the game and how much you enjoy doing what you’re doing. It was a long road, but I’m glad I got that game in.”
It convinced him he was able to play in a 20th season. He performed so well — blocking shots, delivering hits, avoiding errors — it convinced all who saw it.
“For us, it’s a huge thing,” fellow defenseman Toni Lydman said. “Anyone who saw that last game of the regular season where he was back on the ice, it looked like he didn’t miss a beat. That’s his experience, his talent and his hockey sense, the way he reads the game. He doesn’t have to be the fastest guy or the strongest guy out there. He still looks solid, effortless. He’s just a smart hockey player.”
The Sabres missed Numminen last season. A lot of mistakes were made in the defensive zone, and they were the kind of miscues their veteran just doesn’t make. They believe his style of simple hockey will filter through the dressing room and turn the team toward the playoffs again.
“He’s a nice, calming influence,” goaltender Ryan Miller said. “I kind of find when I just watch him with the puck in our zone or watch him play, everything is just kind of effortless. I think that kind of rubs off on the other players.”
Numminen’s ability to forgive and forget is motivational, too. The Sabres suspended him without pay after he failed the physical, and it created tense moments. But even before the sides reached a settlement and confidentiality agreement, Numminen had decided he wanted to return to the organization and the city.
He signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal to stay in the place where his two daughters started school, his son was born and where he achieved playoff success for the first time.
“This is our home,” he said. “It’s my home team. I had other options during the summer, but they weren’t options for me. If I’m going to play this year, I’m going to play here or I’m not going to play.
“We had so many good things happen to me and our family here. It is our home, and it will be our home for a long time.”
