Numminen's heart was truly in the game

Numminen's return from open-heart surgery proved his dedication to hockey. There will be one last hurrah for Buffalo Sabres defenseman Teppo Numminen: He will be a scout for Finland for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. As for his NHL career, Numminen announced Wednesday he will end it after 20 seasons.   "I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play with and against the best players in the world for so many years," Numminen said in a statement released by the NHL Players' Association. "I want to thank my teammates, coaches, fans and the media for all the great years."   That he played 20 NHL seasons was a miracle. In the summer of 2007, just before training camp opened, doctors found Numminen had a faulty heart valve. He had open-heart surgery Sept. 20 that year, but pledged he'd return to the Sabres.   He did, playing the season's final game. He also played in 57 games last season, finishing with 17 points. That cap...