Sanheim ready to do ‘anything’ to help Team Canada win gold at Olympics

PHILADELPHIA -- Travis Sanheim is ready for whatever role Canada might need him to fill at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

"It's Team Canada," the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman said Thursday. "I think guys would do anything. I'll fill water bottles if they need me to."

Sanheim might do a bit more than, but as one of eight defensemen, he likely won't play as much as his team-high 24:01 per game with the Flyers.

Even if it's closer to the 17:22 he averaged at the 4 Nations Face-Off he'll be happy. That came in three games, after he was a healthy scratch for the tournament opener.

"I started out not playing and worked my way in, and (the Olympics will be) much of the same, just kind of whatever's asked of me I'm going to accept and do," Sanheim said. "Ultimately just want the team to do well and have a chance to win gold."

Playing and winning gold with Canada at the 4 Nations gave him an idea of what Olympic hockey would be like.

"I thought it was a good learning experience that will help a lot of us in this tournament," he said. "And just being around those guys every day, what they do, how they prepare, and then winning on top of it, I think that's setting myself up good moving into this tournament and I'm really excited to get back with a lot of those guys."

Among those guys he won with at 4 Nations was Flyers coach Rick Tocchet, who was an assistant at that tournament and will reprise that role at the Olympics.

At that time, Tocchet was coach of the Vancouver Canucks. But he stepped down from that job April 29 and was hired by the Flyers on May 14.

"I thought he rose to the occasion last year at the 4 Nations," Tocchet said. "I thought he did some really good stuff. Any time you get a chance, whether it's that high level of an event or playing in (Stanley Cup) playoffs, that's how you develop your growth. I think this is super for 'Sanny.'"

Sanheim said he didn't spend much time with Tocchet at 4 Nations because of Tocchet's role coaching the forwards and the power play but it did give him an advantage in knowing his new coach when Tocchet came to Philadelphia.

"I think just the relationship, and you won together, I think that goes a long way," Sanheim said. "Starting off on the right foot and understanding what he's all about. I was excited when he was named to coach this hockey team."

Sanheim's play this season has shown it. In addition to leading the Flyers in ice time, he leads Philadelphia defensemen in goals (six) and points (24) and has a plus-3 rating. He also has been on the ice for a team-high 57 even-strength goals.

He's impressed his teammates, some of whom will be his Olympic foes starting Thursday, when Canada faces Czechia (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA, CBC Gem, CBC).

"The thing about Sanny was, I didn't know, honestly, that he was that good, until I joined the [Flyers]," said goalie Dan Vladar, who could start for Czechia in the Olympic opener. "So once I joined the team, I can actually see how good of a player he is, how many minutes he can play every single night, and how this team can rely on him. ... Just the way he holds on to the puck and he calms the plays down, it's unreal."

Sanheim, Vladar and Tocchet will be joined in Italy by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who will play for Team Finland.

It will be Ristolainen's first time playing internationally for Finland since the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. He made the team for the 4 Nations Face-Off but missed the tournament because of an upper-body injury.

There have been injury questions surrounding Ristolainen this season as well, as his season debut didn't come until Dec. 16 after he had surgery March 26 to repair a ruptured right triceps tendon. He missed six games because of an upper-body injury sustained Jan. 14 and then left a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Jan. 28 because of a lower-body injury after playing two shifts.

But he scored his first goal of the season in a 4-2 win against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday and has played at least 20 minutes three straight games.

"Very excited," Ristolainen said. "Having some injuries in the past, so it feels extra special being healthy and able to go."

It's special for all four of the Flyers' Olympic representatives, who will fly to Italy together Saturday. It will be the last time they enjoy things together for a few weeks.

"Once we land, horse blinders for me," Vladar said. "No friends."