In Voorhees, N.J., while Team Czechia's Olympic journey concluded with a tough semifinal loss to Canada, the experience was nothing short of unforgettable for goaltender Dan Vladar. The Flyers' netminder had his moment in the spotlight in Italy, starting against France and delivering a solid performance in a 6-3 victory.
Philadelphia is hopeful that Vladar will carry this momentum back into the NHL season. Before the break, he was a steady presence with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage over 33 games.
Reflecting on his Olympic experience, Vladar shared, "It was awesome. You never know if you'll get another Olympic chance, so I tried to savor every moment. Just one overtime goal by Canada, and it could have been a different story for us."
Vladar also tipped his hat to American goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who was outstanding in a 2-1 overtime win against Canada in the gold medal game. "Congrats to him," Vladar remarked.
"He’s been impressive throughout his career. His patience and ability to let the game come to him really stand out."
Switching gears to the Flyers, No. 2 goalie Samuel Ersson has been navigating another season riddled with injuries. Fortunately, the Olympic break provided him some much-needed recovery time, just in time for a stretch of back-to-back games starting Wednesday in Washington.
Assistant coach Todd Reirden, who stepped in for head coach Rick Tocchet during the Olympics, noted, "He’s in a good spot now. We designed these five-on-five games to get everyone back into the swing of things.
We’ve put in the work these five days, thanks to our leadership and staff. With 26 games in 50 days ahead, the team is ready and excited."
On the American front, Minnesota native Bobby Brink, once an NCAA scoring champ with Denver University, expressed pride in the U.S. team's performance in Italy. "American hockey is in a great place," Brink said. "We've always been a top team, and this tournament was a testament to that."
Defenseman Nick Seeler appreciated the productive week of practice during the break. "These practices have been solid for us," he said.
"We focused on structure, five-on-five, D-zone-everything. Our attitude was spot-on, setting us up well for the upcoming week."
With the Olympic break behind them, the Flyers are gearing up for an intense run, ready to translate their practice efforts into on-ice success.