Longtime friends Hartnell, Timonen together at All-Star Game

Sitting in front of a gaggle of reporters yesterday at the All-Star media availability in the Ottawa Westin hotel, Hartnell recalled the start of a tight - if not unlikely - friendship that has spanned 12 seasons in two cities and spilled overseas to Finland, where the two are partners in owning a Finnish Elite League hockey club.

"My first preseason game was in Tokyo, Japan," Hartnell said. "I was a rookie. I've been with him since I was 18. He was holding out for a new contract [after the 1999-2000 season] and he didn't come to training camp in Nashville.

"He flew from Finland to Tokyo and he met us there, we picked him up on the bus at the airport. He was shaking everyone's hand. Everyone was giving him a hard time telling him he's a 'big timer,' and I'll never forget him. He stuck out his hand and told me that it was real nice to meet me. He was so personable. I think we had a connection right there."

From Nashville, the rights to both Timonen and Hartnell were traded to the Flyers on June 18, 2007, as pending unrestricted free agents. The two former Predators roomed on the road in Nashville and continued the tradition in Philadelphia.

On the surface, their friendship seems a strange fit - aside from having spent more time together than any other pair of Flyers. They are the Flyers' version of the Odd Couple.

Hartnell, 29, is loud, brazen and outgoing. On the surface, Timonen, 36, is reserved, quiet and a dedicated family man. In a word, some would describe Timonen as "boring."

But Hartnell said Timonen has a side that is rarely caught by the cameras and microphones in the locker room.

"I think that's just what [the press] sees," Hartnell said. "I think we have the same personality. He's one of the funniest guys that I've ever met. He's got such dry humor. He can joke with the young guys, he can joke with the old guys.

"We fit together pretty well. He laughs at my jokes; I laugh at his jokes. Everything that comes out of his mouth is humor."

No matter Timonen's demeanor in the locker room, his play on the ice has spoken for itself. This weekend is Timonen's fourth All-Star appearance and his fifth selection to the game, since he was named to the team in 2000 but could not play because of injury.

His coach, Peter Laviolette, once described Timonen - who has played in 236 straight games, the longest active streak by a defenseman - as the postal service.

"You don't know how it ends up in your [mail]box every day, and you don't ask," Laviolette said. "But he shows up every day, he works hard and he is consistent."

At the break, Timonen is sixth among defensemen in points with 31.

Timonen said previously he likely would have skipped this weekend's festivities if his only son, Samuel, didn't urge him to play. Instead, they'll share a father-son bond in Scotiabank Place that is limited to a privileged few in professional sports.

"The other option would've been 5 days off. But he made me to come. He said, 'No, Dad, we're going,' " Timonen said. "He's 12 years old, so obviously he's into hockey a lot. He does fantasy leagues and things like that. I will take him into the locker room tomorrow."

Timonen also brought along his two daughters, Ella and Ava, and wife Johanna, and his parents flew in from his native Finland.

"He's a great family guy," Hartnell said. "He cares about his kids, his family, his parents. I can't say enough good things about him."

Back home in Finland last summer, Timonen started to piece together a plan for his post-hockey career. It's hard to believe, but next year is the final season of the 6-year, $38 million deal he signed with the Flyers after that 2007 trade. He is still the NHL's highest-paid Finn, making more than even Teemu Selanne or Ville Leino. And with a slew of nagging injuries that require daily attention, Timonen can now see the end of an enormously underrated career.

Part of his plan is to continue ownership of KalPa, the Finnish Elite League team with whom he made his name. Timonen's No. 44 reportedly will be retired by the club soon. Former Flyer Sami Kapanen is the majority owner, with a 50.5 percent share. Timonen owns 8 percent and he persuaded Hartnell to chip in for 5 percent. When they bought the team, the team skated in Finland's second division, but it has since been bumped up to the top tier.

Hartnell travels to Finland at least once a summer for Timonen's charity golf tournament.

"I said to him one day, 'I'd like to own a hockey team,' and we looked at the business model, and I put some cash into it," Hartnell said. "He gives me updates weekly on the team."

Last summer, Timonen purchased a few buildings in his hometown, where he hopes to open a restaurant someday. That is, if he doesn't continue to pad his numbers that - with a Stanley Cup - would quietly put him in the conversation for the Hall of Fame.

"I've started to think about it and put the pieces together," Timonen said. "I've seen too many guys stop playing and just fall off, with nothing else to do. I'm not sure if that's me yet, but I've got a few options."