Below is an overview of the three participating Flyers players and their viewpoints on the tournament.
Rasmus Ristolainen (defenseman, Finland): Internationally, the greatest moment of Ristolainen's career came on January 5, 2014. He scored in overtime against previously undefeated Team Sweden to capture the World Championship gold medal. It was his third goal of the tourney. Two years later, Ristolainen played in the World Cup of Hockey tournament. Last year, Ristolainen was named to Finland's 4 Nations Face Off squad but had to withdraw due to a triceps injury that required surgery. The 31-year-old defenseman has simplified his game in recent seasons; looking less for big hits and offensive opportunities in favor of playing a more positionally sound game. When healthy, he has been an effective presence for Philly. Meanwhile, Ristolainen is excited to play his first international hockey in a decade.
"I think we've got a really good team; a really good chance to win. We're going to go there to win," Ristolainen said on Thursday.
Travis Sanheim (defenseman, Canada): The 29-year-old reigning Barry Ashbee Trophy winner first gained leaguewide scouting notice around the NHL at the 2014 IIHF Under-18 World Championship. His strong tourney (including six assists in seven games) cemented him as a first-round lock at the 2014 NHL Draft. Later, Sanheim represented Team Canada at the 2015-16 World Junior Championship. At the senior level, Sanheim donned the Canadian national team sweater for the silver-medal winning squad at the 2022 IIHF Worlds. Last year, Sanheim was part of Team Canada's championship roster at the 4 Nations Face Off. Months later, he dressed in all eight games Canada played at the 2025 World Championships.
Reflecting on his recent national team experiences, Sanheim said that he's learned a lot about the elevated level of play that it takes to compete in major international tournaments. It's not about personal ice time or statistics. It's only about winning.
"Just being around those guys, and how they prepare. And winning on top of it. I think I set myself up good moving into this tournament. I'm really excited to get back with a lot of those guys," Sanheim said.
Dan Vladař (goaltender, Czechia): The 28-year-old Czech netminder is recently returned to the lineup after recovering from a lower-body injury. Internationally, Vladař has represented the Czech Republic at various junior levels as well as during the 2005 IIHF World Championships. At the 2025 Worlds, he appeared in four games, posting a sparkling 3-0-0 record, 1.09 goals against average and .951 save percentage. Most notably, he shut out Team Germany. During his junior hockey career, Vladař helped backstop his national team to a silver medal at the 2014 Under-18 World Championships. He was a backup goalie at the 2015-16 World Junior Championship and made two starts at the 2016-17 WJC.
Vladar said that he's excited to travel in conjunction with his Flyers' teammates. He feels that all have earned the honor that's been bestowed upon them. "I'm really proud of those guys but once we land, it's horse blinders for me. No friends," Vladar added.
