DALLAS, March 20 (UPI) -- The Dallas Stars announced Saturday that veteran defenseman Teppo Numminen is out of the lineup indefinitely with a heart ailment.
A report on the team's Web site said the 35-year-old Numminen, a native of Finland, has a dilated aorta (one of the large arteries leaving the heart).
"We're disappointed for Teppo that this condition has sidelined him from playing," General Manager Doug Armstrong said.
"Our primary concern at this time is Teppo's health. Thankfully, they caught this problem now and he can work with doctors to correct it and live a long, healthy life. Hopefully, he can come back and play hockey soon, but our main focus is helping Teppo fix and recover from this condition."
Numminen has played in 1,157 National Hockey League games, scoring 111 goals and 439 assists.
