Hawks' Teravainen has special mentor in Timonen
Like most young Finnish hockey players, Teuvo Teravainen idolized Kimmo Timonen when he was young.
Years later, a trade last weekend made the 20-year old Teravainen teammates with the 39-year old Timonen on the Blackhawks.
He also become the veteran defenseman's chauffeur, of sorts, since they're staying at the same hotel.
"It's nice, but at the same time I've been driving him all around and he's the new guy here," Teravainen said after practice Thursday at Johnny's IceHouse West.
"He's asking me the questions like, 'What's going on there and there?' so it's kind of nice for (an) older guy, like, asking me the questions now. I've been asking everyone else (those questions). Now I know something."
Timonen knows more, of course, about life and hockey.
After battling blood clots for more than six months, he just started his 16th NHL season while playing for his third team.
Timonen, who has played in five Olympics for Finland, is comfortable mentoring a top young prospect like Teravainen - even if his stint with the Blackhawks is just a handful of regular-season games plus the postseason.
"I like the kid," said Timonen, who made his season and Blackhawks debut Monday. "He could be my son almost. Obviously he's a little shy and quiet, but I'm sure I can help.
"If he's got something on his mind, he can talk in Finnish to me. He's got a lot of skill, but he's got a lot of work to do, that's for sure."
That work will have wait a little longer.
Teravainen appears headed for a healthy scratch Friday when the Hawks play the Edmonton Oilers at the United Center.
He played Monday against the Carolina Hurricane and showed some elite puck-handling skills, but coach Joel Quenneville wants to get his first look at newly acquired forward Andrew Desjardins at right wing on the third line.
Terevainen has 3 goals and 2 assists in 18 games with the Hawks but is more of an extra top-six forward.
Even without injured right wing Patrick Kane, there's just no room on the top two lines for the highly skilled Teravainen.
Quenneville likes to have a harder edge to the wingers on his checking lines, but he didn't sound displeased with Teravainen's latest performance.
He played with more confidence, which brought out some of the elite skills that convinced the Hawks to pick him 18th overall in the 2012 NHL draft.
The hope now is that hanging around with Timonen will bring out even more.
"That is something (Blackhawks general manager) Stan Bowman and I discussed when the trade was completed," said Markus Lehto, the Chicago-based agent for both players.
"He asked me, 'Is Kimmo the kind of a guy that can even help Teuvo?' And I said, 'You cannot find a better Finnish hockey player for a person who would be kind of a mentor and a buddy to deal with Teravainen.'
"Teuvo can learn just being close to him. Not just stuff that relates to his hockey, but his personal life."
It only has been a few days, but that process already has begun.
"He's a great guy," Teravainen said of Timonen. "It's great to have him here. I say he's like a dad for me here. It's great. He's seen the world. He's played 1,000 games, so he's got the experience."