Dan Vladar, Team Czechia Motivated After 4 Nations Face-Off Snub
When the NHL announced the 4 Nations Face-Off, they arbitrarily named Team Canada, Team USA, Team Sweden, and Team Finland as the participants. Political tension complicated any Russian representation, and…
When the NHL announced the 4 Nations Face-Off, they arbitrarily named Team Canada, Team USA, Team Sweden, and Team Finland as the participants. Political tension complicated any Russian representation, and the NHL snubbed Team Czechia.
The league first paused to send players to the Winter Olympics in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Team Czechoslovakia (renamed after political restructuring) stunned the hockey world and won the gold medal. They upset Team Canada on the backs of Jaromir Jagr and Dominik Hasek in a dramatic shootout to advance to the championship game.
While Czech players competed in the NHL more impactfully in 1998, Team Czechia enters the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina with a chip on the proverbial shoulder after the 4 Nations Face-Off snub.
Dan Vladar Represents Team Czechia
Dan Vladar of the Philadelphia Flyers will compete for Czechia's crease with Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks) and Karel Vejmelka (Utah Mammoth). The first-year Flyers goaltender spoke about the exclusion from last February’s international best-on-best showcase, where Team Canada and Team USA seemed destined to steal the show.
“We weren’t really happy about it. We obviously don’t have as much NHL players like we used to back in the day. I still think we can bring a really good team.”
-Dan Vladar
Vladar has represented Czechia in major international competition like the World Juniors in 2016-17 and the IIHF World Championship in 2025. The 2026 Winter Olympics will be his first taste on international best-on-best hockey, an irreplaceable element of the game's history.
The towering goaltender has become part of Philadelphia's leadership group after an excellent start to his first season with the Flyers. While he has earned a reputation for chirping opponents on the ice, he speaks with a measured tone after the clock hits zero.
He spoke confidently about the competition in Milano Cortina with a tone of awe at the opportunity to represent his country at the Olympics.
“I still think we can bring a really good team. Obviously, us being Czechs, it’s a little bit different mentality. So we’re going to have fun, for sure, but at the same time we are going there… being proud in representing your country. We all know that, obviously. We cannot wait to get started, and it’s going to be great, for sure.”
-Dan Vladar
David Pastrnak (Boston Bruins), Tomas Hertl (Vegas Golden Knights), and Martin Necas (Colorado Avalanche) will lead the Czechia attack. Former Flyers Radko Gudas (Anaheim Ducks) and Lukas Sedlak (Pardubice in Czechia) also made the national roster.
Czechia will open the Olympics against Canada on Feb. 12. They’ll additionally compete against Team Switzerland and Team France, opponents with limited NHL talent, in Group A of the tournament.
Rick Tocchet, Travis Sanheim, and Rasmus Ristolainen will also represent the Flyers on the international stage.
