![Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against the United States at TD Garden.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_147,w_4041,h_2273/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/72/01kh4hv006sp2s4sd0ge.jpg "Feb 20, 2025; Boston, MA, USA; [Imagn Images direct customers only] Team Canada defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) during the 4 Nations Face-Off ice hockey championship game against the United States at TD Garden.")
With the Winter Olympics well underway, it is only a short time before men's hockey takes the national stage. Preliminary round games are scheduled to begin Feb. 11 and will run through Feb. 15. Flyers fans will have a chance to watch three players throughout the week: Travis Sanheim (Canada), Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland), and Dan Vladar (Czechia).
The main goal for all players involved will be to bring home a gold medal for their country. While that is the most important thing, there are a few things that each Flyers player participating should keep an eye on during their time in Milan. And it's something fans should be focused on as well.
Travis Sanheim: Rest
Sanheim is a workhorse for the Flyers. He averages over 24 minutes of ice time per game. That's nearly two minutes more than his next closest teammate, and his total time on ice is over 200 more. Sanheim is also a key part of both the power play and penalty kill, sitting third and first, respectively, in each category per game. There is almost no time to rest.
But Sanheim isn't expected to have the same role with Canada. He has been spotted on the third pairing with Shea Theodore. There is also a chance he could be a healthy scratch as well, similar to his role during the 4 Nations. That would certainly give him time to rest. Even so, the decline in minutes should keep Sanheim sharp, while not burning him out. That is the perfect formula for Flyers fans.
Rasmus Ristolainen: Health
Ristolainen's career with the Flyers has been marred by injuries. He has yet to play in a full season with Philadelphia, coming close in 2022-23 when he appeared in 74 games. This season, he has only appeared in 19 games. Ristolainen has also been the subject of trade rumors, but has consistently gotten hurt before he could be moved. So it's easy to believe that fans will be wary of his time at the Olympics.
Ristolainen has been paired with Niko Mikkola on Finland's third pairing. While his minutes may not be as high as with the Flyers recently, the two are expected to be a rather physical duo. Olympic hockey is not nearly as physical as the NHL, but expect the two Finns to not make it easy for opponents to get past them with the puck. Fans will be keeping an eye on him to see if he makes it out healthy, and it's something he should be focused on, too.
Dan Vladar: Experience
There's no guarantee that Vladar will emerge as the starter for Czechia. Along with Lukas Dostal and Karel Vejmelka, their stats this season are similar. Vladar has played the least of the three, sitting at 33 games, while Dostal has 38, and Vejmelka leads the league at 44. However, he does have the best goals against average and save percentage of the trio.
Czechia may have one of the deepest goaltending trios, but they will need whoever they turn to to be at the top of their game if the team wants a chance to medal. If that's Vladar, he can use this experience to sharpen his skills and prove that he can go up against some of the best in the world. He already faces a majority of these players in the NHL, but the Olympics are an even bigger stage. This experience could give him the confidence and propel him into an even better goaltender once he returns to Philadelphia.