According to the Buffalo News… It is now official: Teppo Numminen will be back with the Buffalo Sabres next season following a heart valve repair surgery at the Cleveland Clinic.

The 40-year-old NHL veteran has signed a one-year, $1.1-million contract, the team announced Friday. Numminen, who missed all but the season finale last year after heart surgery, has no recurring health problems and will be ready for hockey training camp next month.

Numminen had heart valve repair surgery ^[1] in September, 2007 and did return to the NHL until getting sixteen minutes of ice-time April 5 at Boston. After that game and in the days following the season, he said he was interested in continuing his career. An unrestricted free agent, Numminen’s first choice was to return to the Sabres.

Teppo is back home in his native Finland and was not available for comment Friday. He had signed a one-year, $2.6-million deal with the team last summer and then filed a grievance with the National Hockey League Players’ Association to reclaim that money after the Sabres placed him on the suspended list.

Darcy Regier, the Sabres General Manager, said Numminen’s health is no longer an issue.

“He feels good, he feels strong,” Regier said. “There’s always routine checkups but the Cleveland Clinic [where the surgery was performed], our doctors, our medical and training staffs all feel he’s 100 percent.”

Way to go Teppo!!!