Overview
- Travis Sanheim (Canada), Dan Vladar (Czechia), and Rasmus Ristolainen (Finland) are in Milan and practicing ahead of Finland–Slovakia on Feb. 11 and Canada–Czechia on Feb. 12, both at 10:40 a.m. ET on USA and Peacock.
- For Canada, Sanheim has skated on an extra pairing with Shea Theodore in early sessions, signaling a depth role similar to his limited usage at last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
- Czechia is preparing a three-goalie rotation with Vladar competing with Lukáš Dostál and Karel Vejmelka; his .905 NHL save percentage in 33 games keeps him in contention to start against Canada.
- Finland has Ristolainen practicing with Niko Mikkola, with some projections placing him alongside Miro Heiskanen, prompting concern about a heavy workload given his recent injury history.
- The Flyers are on the NHL’s three-week Olympic break after honoring their Olympians, with Ristolainen’s availability and performance closely watched ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.