If we’ve learned anything lately from smallish Flyers GM Danny Brière, it’s that size matters.
The Flyers were swept out of the second round of the playoffs by the fast, physical, slightly bigger Carolina Hurricanes, and often struggled against bigger, heavier teams. Their defensemen were particularly unimposing, and Brière has been on teams where the bigger, the better. His teams as a young player in Buffalo brought the beef and laid the wood. The 2010 Flyers made their Stanley Cup runs with 6-foot-6, 220-pound Chris Pronger and 6-5, 224-pound Braydon Coburn lying in wait for unsuspecting forwards.
The Flyers’ most promising prospect is 5-10, 172-pound wing Matvei Michkov. Brière, who was 5-9 and 174 pounds as a player, knows little guys need big guys to protect them.
For all the beautiful hockey witnessed in South Philly, physicality is part of the Flyers’ DNA. The franchise’s two best players, Bobby Clarke and Eric Lindros, were known as much for their guts as their skill.
Brière recognizes this.
His two, er, biggest pieces last offseason were 6-5 veteran goalie Dan Vladař and 6-3 first-rounder Porter Martone, both of whom pushed the Flyers into the playoffs and past the Penguins in the first round.
Darnell Nurse, Donovan McNabb’s nephew and a defenseman who asked for a trade out of Edmonton, landed with San Jose but the Flyers were in the mix. He’s 6-4, 215, and he would have been the second-biggest skater on the roster if he came to Philadelphia.
Porter Martone’s late-season addition to the Flyers helped push them to the playoffs and to a series win over the Penguins.
Vladař also signed an extension, for five years and $27.5 million. Only four other full-time starters are as big as he is; his nickname, “Darth Vladař,” certainly fits.
Retaining Foerster and Vladař underscored the club’s commitment to heft. The most significant move before those deals included trading talented defenseman Emil Andrae, who, at 5-9, was the shortest of a legion of Lilliputian blueliners. Cam York, the overtime hero who eliminated the Penguins in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series, is listed at 6-foot, perhaps measured while wearing his helmet. Jamie Drysdale, the No. 2 scoring defenseman last season, is 5-11 … ish.
“It did make our defense a little small at times,” Brière said when Andrae was dealt. “We have Jamie and Yorky there, so the three of them — it wasn’t ideal.”
It’s notable that Brière recently has traded sizable wingers Garnet Hathaway, who is part wolverine, and Nic Deslauriers, who is not. And Brière will always choose exceptional skill in a smaller package over modest skill in XXL.
But XXL occupies more space on the ice and carries a lot more punishment in the corners than small/medium. These Flyers are growing by leaps and bounds in performance, expectation, and laundry bills.
Team Canada defenseman Travis Sanheim, the Flyers’ best player at 6-4 and 222 pounds, is the biggest skater on the roster, and he’s under contract for five more years. The back end of that deal could see the back end of the hockey team grow like Jack’s beanstalk.
The Flyers used their first-round pick on Maksim Sokolovskii, a 6-7, 240-pound bulldozer with the attitude of that bulldog you see on the grills of Mack dump trucks. Properly fed, he could occupy most of the defensive zone by himself. He doesn’t even turn 18 until July 12.
Apparently, neither his speed nor his skill warrants a first-round grade, but, as Brière noted, speed and skill can be developed.
“He was also a big defenseman, something we don’t have a lot of. We don’t expect him to be the next big point producer. We see him as a big physical force, a defenseman that’s going to be tough to face,” Brière said. “The way our development has worked the last few years, we feel confident that it’s going to come. We know there’s a lot of work to be done, but there are things that you can’t teach.”
Things like size. Things like grit.
The Flyers selected 6-foot-7 defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii in the first round of the NHL draft last week.
“He’s still going to be 6-foot-7 two years from now,” Brière said, “and that internal physicalness is something you can’t really teach.”
That was true when 6-6 Kjell Samuelsson and 6-5 Chris Therien helped the Flyers to the 1997 Stanley Cup Final.
It was true when — in a different era, when a 200-pound defenseman was imposing — the Broad Street Bullies went to three straight Cup finals from 1974-76, and won twice.
Will Brière’s strategy revive the Broad Street Bully ethic and swagger?
No. Nothing will ever do that. The NHL has grown softer than playoff ice, and won’t allow it.
WASHINGTON ― The Flyers’ final countdown began on Tuesday night.
Playing in their 74th game of the season, and facing a Washington Capitals team clinging to their own playoff dreams, the Flyers had a chance to gain some ground but instead fell, 6-4.
The loss ended the Flyers’ winning streak at three games; they have not won four in a row since Feb. 6-12, 2023.
However, there is some good news. The Flyers didn’t really lose any ground in the playoff race as the Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, and Columbus Blue Jackets all lost, too.
They remain tied in points with the Red Wings and Senators, with all three teams trailing the Blue Jackets by two points for the second wild card slot in the Eastern Conference. All three teams have a game in hand on Columbus. Washington moved three points back of the Blue Jackets, too.
The Flyers also remain three points back of the Islanders for the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, while the Pittsburgh Penguins expanded their lead for the second seed in the division with a win.
Ending up on the losing side also spoiled the debut of Porter Martone, who was drafted sixth overall in the 2025 NHL draft and did not look out of place. He skated on a line with Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny, the latter of whom was his linemate during exhibition games for Canada at the Ice Hockey World Championships last May.
The 19-year-old played more than 16 minutes, got tagged for delay of the game, and had six shot attempts and five shots on goal, including a one-timer off a pass from Konecny as they were rushing into the zone. He made a great play in the third period with the Flyers down by two, when he backchecked on a play that turned into a two-on-one, and knocked away the pass across the ice.
A physical game that saw a combined 59 hits and had a high-tempo pace and intensity seemed to catch the Flyers off-guard to start, but they settled in, and said afterward they felt they handled it better as the game wore on. It was a good test for a young team that is hoping to play well into April.
And it also showed that the Flyers’ special teams need to step up. The power play went 0-for-3, including a chance with under four minutes left in regulation and the Flyers needing a goal to tie. Washington scored twice when it had the man advantage, thanks to offensive-zone penalties taken by Konecny and Trevor Zegras.
Skating in his 900th game, Washington’s Tom Wilson opened the scoring with just over five minutes left in the first period during five-on-five action. On a two-on-two against Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim, he took a drop pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois and sent the shot against the grain and past Dan Vladař’s blocker. It was the 47th time in 74 games that the Flyers trailed first.
Flyers right wing Carl Grundstrom (center) celebrates his goal during the second period against the Capitals.
Less than four minutes later, they found themselves in a 2-0 hole when Alex Ovechkin registered his 927th regular-season goal.
The Capitals gained the offensive zone, and Connor McMichael dished the puck to defenseman Matt Roy, who was trailing. He had room and skated down to the net before sending a pass into the crease, where Jamie Drysdale tried to clear, but Ovechkin swooped in and knocked it home.
An unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, there is a strong possibility that the game was “The Great 8’s” last game against the Flyers.
But as they’ve done countless times before, the Flyers battled back, and before the clock hit five minutes into the second period, it was all tied up.
Just 39 seconds in, Sanheim scored during four-on-four action, firing a one-timer off a pass from Konecny. The referees initially said there was goaltender interference by Christian Dvorak and called off the goal. Coach Rick Tocchet and his staff challenged the call because Dvorak actually never touched Capitals goalie Logan Thompson as he crashed the net. The replay showed that Capitals defenseman Martin Fehérváry’s stick touched Thompson, and after a review, the goal counted.
Sanheim has nine goals on the season, one shy of his career high set in 2023-24.
Under four minutes later, it was Carl Grundström getting on the board for the first time since Feb. 3 — which just happened to be against the Capitals too.
The Flyers dumped the puck in, and Owen Tippett put a little bit of pressure on Roy, causing him to send a somewhat blind pass up off the boards. Zegras got there first and sent a quick, zinging backhand to the front of the net where Grundström was. The Swede took it and scored around the right pad of Thompson.
The good vibes didn’t last long, however, as the Capitals retook the lead just over two minutes later on a goal by Jakob Chychrun. Off an offensive-zone faceoff during a power play, Ryan Leonard sent the puck over to the big defenseman, and he fired off the one-timer past Vladař. Leonard scored to make it 4-2 with his own power-play goal later in the period when it looked like Vladař was screened by Nick Seeler.
But once again, the Flyers tried to charge back in the third period.
Less than 40 seconds in, Sanheim made a good play in the defensive zone that started the rush up the ice. Martone got the puck on a two-on-one with Konecny and tried to pass it over.
The play was broken up, but Sanheim was there to get the loose puck and to send it over to Konecny, who just missed short side. He got the puck and fed it in front to Dvorak for his 16th goal of the season, putting him one shy of his career high.
Ovechkin then made it 5-3 when he was left alone in front and reached to tap in a pass from McMichael. It was Ovechkin’s 54th goal and 86th point in 82 regular-season games against Philly.
But the Flyers again got within one goal.
Ristolainen got the puck inside the zone and made a nice move to give himself time and space to put a shot on. On the way to the net, Denver Barkey deflected the puck, which was also deflected off the Caps, and got it past Thompson to cut Washington’s lead to 5-4.
Barkey has two goals and an assist in his past four games after being held off the score sheet for six games. Ristolainen has five assists in his past seven games.
Breakaways
Zegras extended his point streak to six games (one goal, five assists). … Konecny extended his point streak to three games (one goal, four assists) and gave him 65 points in 70 games. … Dvorak had a goal and an assist to give him 46 points on the season. … Noah Cates got an assist on Ristolainen’s goal, tying his career high (25) set in 2022-23. … Wilson added an empty-net goal with 64 seconds left in the game. … Forwards Alex Bump and Garrett Wilson, and defenseman Noah Juulsen were healthy scratches. … Defenseman Emil Andrae played in his 100th NHL game.
Up next
The Flyers return home for another meeting with the Red Wings on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP) to kick start a back-to-back that takes them to Long Island on Friday to play the Islanders (7 p.m., NBCSP+, NHLN).
WASHINGTON ― It feels like it’s been 84 years since the Flyers last played an NHL game.
On Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals, they kicked off the final 26 games of the season. Entering the night, Philly sat four points back of Washington — with three games in hand — and eight points back of a playoff spot.
By the end of the night, the Flyers were six points back of Washington, after losing 3-1 at the Capital One Arena. They remain eight points back of the idle New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, and have a game in hand on the Islanders.
Trevor van Riemsdyk scored the decisive goal, giving the Capitals a 2-1 lead with 5 minutes, 52 seconds left in regulation. Off the rush, Declan Chisholm dropped the puck to Aliaksei Protas and got it back near the left post. He then hit van Riemsdyk, the brother of former Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk, as he crashed the net.
As coach Rick Tocchet noted postgame, the Flyers came out with some pep in their step to start the game. “The first nine minutes we were dominating,” he said. But they were unable to capitalize until the third period, when Noah Cates deflected a shot by Travis Sanheim 29 seconds in.
Rasmus Ristolainen applied pressure, creating a turnover to Matvei Michkov, who found Bobby Brink. The winger carried it down into the left face-off circle before hitting Sanheim for the quick shot, which Cates deflected past goalie Logan Thompson. Cates tied the game at one — and ended an 18-game goal drought.
“I didn’t like my January,” said Cates, whose last goal came Dec. 30. “I thought the team struggled as well, and I feel like when I struggle, the team struggles. You just want to get out of it and get going.
“So to get that goal and feel good about our line, we were making some plays and just playing the right way, playing how we can play with Bobby [Brink] and [Michkov]. So, yeah, good to get going.”
The trio had several other chances, notably in the third period when Brink, while under pressure, sent a cross-crease pass to Michkov alone at the right post. Thompson robbed him of a sure goal as he stretched across and made a toe save. According to Natural Stat Trick, when they were on the ice at five-on-five, the Flyers had 10 shot attempts, a game-high 1.05 expected Goals For, and nine scoring chances.
Philly did put 24 shots on Thompson, with 18 coming in the first two periods, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Dan Vladař kept them in the game all night.
The goaltender told The Inquirer on Sunday that he “wasn’t the best” in his one game at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, a 6-3 win against France, when he allowed the trio of goals on 12 shots for Czechia. So maybe he had something to prove.
Vladař faced seven shots in the first period, and robbed the owner of 919 NHL goals, Alex Ovechkin, of his 920th. “The Great 8″ was left wide-open in front after Ristolainen had the puck poked away from him in the corner by Dylan Strome, who fed Ovechkin. Vladař then stopped Strome’s point shot as Travis Konecny’s clearing attempt went right to him.
“He gives us a lot of confidence. He was making huge saves out there for us,” center Christian Dvorak said. “He’s been doing that all year, and it would have been nice to get him a win tonight. He definitely deserved it. He’s been big for us, and we just got to work on being better for our goalies.”
In the second period, the Capitals outshot the Flyers 12-9 and seemed to have the ice tilted their way. Although they broke through once — and missed the net a few more times — Vladař came up big again to keep the score close.
He stopped a point shot by Ethan Frank off a face-off win, kicked out a Ryan Leonard shot to the boards, and then seconds later made a masterful stop on another shot by Leonard.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (bottom) was a bit shaken up after defenseman Nick Seeler (24) fell over him late in the second period.
Later, Vladař made a save on a Brandon Duhaime shot from nine feet out, and Nick Seeler pushed it back for him to cover. But there was a bit of a scramble, and Seeler fell over him, and the goalie seemed a bit stung. He flexed his right arm at the next whistle but stayed in the game.
Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin scored the Capitals’ opening goal in the period. Philly regrouped and reset after a three-on-two by Washington — and Michkov broke up a pass in front, but then allowed the blueliner to skate down from the point behind him. Hendrix Lapierre found him for the 1-0 goal.
And while he again allowed a goal in the third period, Vladař kept his team in the game. With the Flyers on the penalty kill, Pierre-Luc Dubois got the puck near the net and turned to take a shot, but Vladař was aggressive with the stick and poked it away. He was tracking the puck well all night and seconds later squared up to snare a Strome tip-in attempt on a point shot.
With the game tied, he robbed Lapierre, who got a return touch pass from Duhaime in the slot after the Flyers couldn’t break out of their own end.
“He’s a battler,” Tocchet said. “He’s done it all year for us. But the lateral goals are the tough ones; we don’t want to give those up. That’s the one thing. Vladdy’s played really well for us, but if we eliminate those that will really help. It’ll help Vladdy, too, [because] those laterals are tough to save.”
Protas added a short-handed empty-net goal with 25.6 seconds left in the game. … Defenseman Emil Andrae and forward Nic Deslauriers were the Flyers’ healthy scratches. What does Andrae, who hasn’t played since Jan. 26, need to do to get back into the lineup? “He’s not a PK guy,” said Tocchet pregame. “So actually, this week, he’s worked on his penalty killing. That’s really what it’s going to come down to.“ … Forward Carl Grundström, who has been playing wing all season, centered the fourth line. … The Flyers went 1-for-1 on the penalty kill and 0-for-2 on the power play.
Up next
The Flyers’ restart is already grinding away as they face the New York Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden (8 p.m., ESPN).
WASHINGTON ― Once again, Travis Sanheim was on the outside looking in.
And as in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament a year ago, the Flyers defenseman was inserted into Canada’s lineup in Game 2 at the Milan Cortina Olympics and never left.
Maybe the doubters need to stop doubting.
Across his five games, the silver-medal-winning Sanheim averaged 13 minutes, 14 seconds, as he crept up coach Jon Cooper’s depth chart as the tournament progressed. Although it was fewer minutes than he’s used to in Philly — he plays more than 24 a night — the blueliner made the most of his ice time.
Sanheim finished the tournament tied for the fourth-best plus-minus (plus-6) among all players, despite averaging fewer minutes than 10 of the 12 players who were either tied with him or above him; only forwards Jack Hughes and Joel Armia played fewer minutes among that group.
He was not on the ice for any of the 10 goals Canada allowed in his five games and his plus-minus was up there with some of the game’s best defensemen — Brock Faber and Cale Makar (plus-6), Zach Werenski (plus-8), and Niko Mikkola, Devon Toews, and his Flyers teammate and, based on Wednesday’s morning skate, his current defensive partner, Rasmus Ristolainen (plus-9).
“I think that’s kind of why I was brought over, was the ability to kind of be a utility guy and be able to play in different situations,” he said Wednesday at Capital One Arena. “Didn’t get in the first game, and have the ability to step right in and play and give them good minutes.
“And I just thought as the tournament went along, just gained more confidence with playing each game and gained the trust of the coaching staff to earn more minutes, and was happy with how I performed.”
Sanheim also had one assist, and it was an important one. He set up Shea Theodore for the game-tying goal with under 10 minutes to go in the semifinals against Finland after receiving a pass from Tom Wilson, whom the Flyers will see with the Capitals on Wednesday (7 p.m., NBCSP). Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winner with 36 seconds left in regulation.
He was robbed of a goal by Czech goalie Lukáš Dostál in the quarterfinals, but Sanheim’s name was mentioned over and over again during the gold-medal game by NBC play-by-play man Kenny Albert. A versatile defenseman who can play on the right or the left, he skated more than 15 minutes and had three shots on goal in the finale.
Defenseman Travis Sanheim believes being around some of the league’s best players and playing such high-level hockey can help him as he returns to the Flyers.
But while he won a medal, it was obviously not the one he wanted.
“I’m sure I’ll appreciate the silver years down the road and looking back on it, but obviously right now, disappointment. Thought we did a good job of playing in that tournament and thought that we deserved better,” said Sanheim, who told Unfiltered With Ricky Bo & Bill Colarulo on Tuesday that the medal is currently in his safe.
“So, it’s hard to enjoy the silver when you think that you had a chance to take gold and you come up short. So, like I said, grateful for the opportunity and the experience and what it all entailed, and yet disappointment that comes with it.”
The experience was special nonetheless for Sanheim. He took in speedskating with his Canadian teammates, and traded pins, including swapping with Japan and Italy; however, he didn’t realize how big the pin swapping was at the Olympics and was unable to get a few he had his eye on.
And he was able to spend time with his family. As his mother, Shelly, told The Inquirer on New Year’s Eve, the whole family was headed to Italy to watch Sanheim don the maple leaf.
“Just appreciative of the support that I get. Everyone that came over has been with me from when I was a kid, and happy to be able to share that experience with them,” he said, also mentioning that it meant the world to him that his hometown, Elkhorn, Manitoba, showed its support too.
“ … And, at the end of it, showing them the medal, and them putting it on and getting pictures, you get to see the joy and what it meant for them to experience what I was going through and fortunate to have those guys.”
But while the Olympics are over and he is back with the Flyers as they begin their final 26-game sprint to the end of the season, that doesn’t mean he won’t take what he learned and experienced to the Orange and Black.
“I think how hard you have to play each and every night, the style of play that you need to play, the willingness to do anything to win a hockey game, and different roles that come up throughout the tournament, that guys have to sacrifice for the better good of the team,” he said.
“And then just the skill level that these guys all play with, and how they play, how hard they work, their off-ice training, and what they do, their preparation. There’s a reason they’re the best in their sport and lucky to share the ice with them.
“If I can bring any of that back and share that with our team and try and help the guys … and obviously, we want to continue to grow and take the next step, and being able to see that firsthand is going to benefit me.”
Breakaways
Dan Vladař (17-8-6, .905 save percentage) was the first goalie off at morning skate and is expected to be the starter against Washington. … The Flyers officially loaned defenseman Adam Ginning back to Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
There were no Christmas or birthday presents from Shelly and Kent Sanheim this year for their kids and grandkids. They combined everything into one big present for each family member.
But those tickets to Italy weren’t for a typical family vacation. Instead, the tickets for three of their kids and their families were bought early in the hope that their brother, Travis Sanheim, had done enough to book his own trip to the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics and represent Canada.
The cancellation option, added just in case, was not needed.
Around 8 a.m. Mountain Time on the morning of New Year’s Eve, the Flyers defenseman called his parents to give them the news that they needed to work on their Italian. The phone rang as they were making their way through airport security, going from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Calgary, Alberta, as they followed the Flyers on their Western Canada trip.
“I guess maybe three, four years ago, he never thought he would have a shot at this, and now he’s going to, hopefully, bring back a gold, right?” Kent said. “So I don’t know what else to say. I guess, it’s just, I don’t know, it’s hard. It brings tears to my eyes.”
There was a lot of emotion as Kent and Shelly spoke to The Inquirer a few hours later on the concourse at the Scotiabank Saddledome, the rink where Travis starred for the Hitmen of the Western Hockey League during his junior career. The emotions filled the rink, as it was a family affair with everyone, including his twin brother, Taylor, his teammate in the WHL, there to watch Travis play for the Flyers and celebrate his big moment.
This is what the Sanheims are all about: family.
Twin brothers Travis and Taylor Sanheim during their days together with the Calgary Hitmen. This season, apart from Travis with the Philadelphia Flyers, Taylor has played with the Esterhazy Flyers (Sask East Hockey League) pic.twitter.com/tswGkvNw4j
Driving through the prairies of Canada, the chartreuse of the canola fields can be mesmerizing as the sun hits the bright yellow that stretches across seemingly endless miles. Across that open land, not far from the 100th meridian and tucked into the town of Elkhorn, Manitoba, is one of those fields with some wheat intermixed. In this town of about 500 people, with no street light and one K-12 school, is where Travis Sanheim learned all about responsibility, work ethic, and dedication.
“Being out on a farm, you get firsthand … how much work my family puts in and being able to help out, at a young age, I remember skipping school for harvest, jumping in the combine, and helping mom and dad out with harvest … and just how excited I was to be able to help and be a part of it,” the 29-year-old defenseman said recently.
Born and raised a 3½-hour drive west of Winnipeg, Travis grew up wanting to be like Kent and would help him out on the farm as much as he could. He would help plant crops in the spring and harvest them in the fall and complete daily chores throughout the year. If he didn’t help, there would be no time for hockey. And for Travis, it was all about the hockey.
“Just a die-hard, loved the game — always has,” Shelly said of a young Travis. “Always excited to go to the rink and wanted to go to the rink.
“It’s funny, I see on Twitter or whatever about Trav being the last one off the ice and working on things, and I’m like, ‘This is this kid his entire life.’”
Elkhorn is where Travis fell in love with hockey. He always wanted to play, and he and Taylor even would try to scrape off the dugout, a storage reservoir on the farm, to go one-on-one. And while Kent would stay on the farm to work, they’d pile into the car and Shelly would drive them to the local community rink.
“As long as they didn’t look in the waiting room, they didn’t think they ever had to go home because I’d be knocking on the glass and pointing to my watch, and they just would never look up,” she said with a laugh.
“And then they got to stay longer at the rink. He would always be the last one on the ice, if possible. We dragged him off.”
Kent Sanheim with his twin sons, Travis and Taylor, when they played youth hockey in Manitoba.
Wheat Kings and hockey things
At some point growing up, Travis got a key to the rink, which often was open, anyway, in the town that sits near Manitoba’s border with Saskatchewan. While the temperatures could dip well into the teens in the winter months, he’d call his buddies to get games of shinny going with him and his brother.
“We did everything together,” Travis said of Taylor. “A lot of battles in the basement, playing hockey against each other. That’s kind of where my competitiveness, I would say, came from. … Was really lucky to have the opportunities that I did growing up, that I was able to skate as much as I was, and had the guys that pushed me, and obviously, my brother was a huge reason as to why.”
The duo also would hit a frozen pond on Boxing Day before watching Canada compete at World Juniors — a fitting tradition for a family that has a sign in the living room asking people not to disturb them because they’re watching hockey. And Travis remembers sitting in front of the television as Sidney Crosby crushed the hearts of Americans everywhere with his golden goal against the U.S. at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
As a 13-year-old, he just wanted to make the NHL; he never expected to now be lining up alongside the all-time great seeking a gold medal.
“Super excited,” he said. “Obviously, a dream come true. Getting to represent your country and playing in the Olympics and being an Olympian means a lot, and something that I never really thought was possible, but now that it’s here, and then I get the chance to do it, just really excited.”
Sanheim has donned the maple leaf several times before, including at the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2014 U18 World Championship, snagging a bronze medal at the latter; the 2016 World Juniors; and the 2022 and 2025 World Championships, winning silver four years ago.
Travis Sanheim celebrates after Canada’s victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.
And he surprised many across Canada last year when he was named to the team for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which the Canadians won. Now he’s going for Olympic gold.
“You never know, there’s so many good players in Canada. They could take a second team and probably still medal with the second team,” Shelly said. “So, you know, just the fact that he was in the mix was a thrill for us, and then to have the dream come true here just — I think I’m still shell-shocked over it. It’s hard to believe.”
‘Across the icy world’
Tampa Bay Lightning and Team Canada coach Jon Cooper isn’t one to show his hand. However, the way he spoke of Sanheim in November in the bowels of the Lightning’s Benchmark International Arena — with a Cheshire Cat-like grin on his face — there was no denying that the defenseman was on his short list.
“You see these players, you compete against these players, but you don’t really know till you have them,” Cooper said. “And I’ve always, I’ve really liked his game. I’m a big fan of big [defensemen] that take up a lot of space and can skate, and he can do all those things. But his ability to jump into plays, he’s got an offensive mind to him.”
After nearly being traded in 2023, Travis Sanheim has developed into a bona fide top-pair defenseman.
Sanheim has come a long way from being a little nervous and wide-eyed at Hockey Canada’s first practice in Brossard, Quebec, ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. And while he didn’t start the tournament in the lineup, by the end — half because of injury and half because of his performance with the versatility to play right and left defense — he was not just skating in the championship game, but Cooper had him out there for the first shift of overtime.
“He was good. … Travis got thrown in when one of the guys, when [Shea Theodore] got hurt, probably,” said Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, an assistant on Cooper’s staff.
“Real good player, steady player, liked his pace, transported pucks, got involved. … I think both [he and Thomas Harley] ended up playing a little bit on the right side, and there was no hesitancy to get up the ice and join the rush. And I think that’s the type of team Coop wanted to build, so he fit right in.”
There will be comfort now for Sanheim, having skated on the same team as some of the game’s biggest names like Crosby, Connor McDavid, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon. And he’ll surely be comfortable because he’ll be able to look up whenever he wants to see his family in the stands in Milan, Italy.
And he’ll surely be thinking about how far he’s come from his days on a farm in Elkhorn, Manitoba, a place Shelly says “gives him some time for clearing his head and stuff.” He hasn’t been able to spend too much time there with all his hockey adventures, but it circles back to the biggest question heading into the Games, which for Sanheim will begin Thursday against Flyers teammate Dan Vladař and Czechia (10:40 a.m., USA and Peacock).
You can’t turn around these days in Philly without someone telling you this is going to be a big year for the city, including me. You get it, things are happening, people are coming, but I bet you mostly just want to know how you can either join in on the parties or figure out how much they’re going to annoy you.
I usually try to temper my expectations — one, because I’ve learned a few things in 18 years here and two, because I like to be pleasantly surprised. But I’ve recently found myself imagining what the big moments will be like: the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament in March; the PGA Championship in May; the FIFA World Cup and MLB-All Star games this summer; and the yearlong celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Antoine Watts, back left, and Michael Clement, front center, participate in the Red, White, and Blue To-Do Pomp & Parade at Independence Hall in 2024.
I have big hopes and some worries for Philadelphia, just like I do for everything I love.
And while the stuff above is a lot, it’s not everything going on here this year, not even close. So if you’re seeking alternatives to the big to-dos, looking to keep your calendar full all year long, or just hoping to run into Mark Ruffalo, here are 14 more Philly happenings to look forward to this year.
(Dates are subject to change. Check related websites for updates.)
Jan. 30: Philly is Unrivaled
The first big event features incredible athletes you won’t see in any of the major sporting events I mentioned above: women.
Unrivaled, a three-on-three format women’s basketball league, is holding a doubleheader at Xfinity Mobile Arena to kick off its first tour later this month.
Rose BC guard Chelsea Gray (12) drives past Lunar Owls wing Rebecca Allen (9) in their Unrivaled 3-on-3 basketball game Jan. 5 in Medley, Fla.
The games will undoubtedly hype up fans for when Philly gets its own WNBA expansion team in 2030 and prove to any doubters that Philly is a women’s sports town (we even have a shirt that says it).
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics in northern Italy will feature a host of local athletes and at least one famous Philly podcaster. Watching it also doesn’t require you to leave your house, so win-win.
Four Philadelphia Flyers will be playing Olympic hockey: Travis Sanheim for Canada, Rasmus Ristolainen for Finland, Dan Vladar will represent Czechia, and Rodrigo Abols will take the ice for Latvia.
People take photos in front of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics rings, in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy.
Other local athletes will undoubtedly qualify, but I don’t have a full list yet so don’t email me asking why I didn’t mention your cousin-in-law on the U.S. Curling Team.
Kylie Kelce will also serve as a digital content creator for NBCUniversal’s Creator Collective and she’ll have on-the-ground access to the games to produce social media content.
Go Birds. Go Team U.S.A.
Feb. 14: ‘Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition’
How much fun can learning about theme parks be without the roller coaster rides, immersive lands, or concession stands? Philly will find out next month when the Franklin Institute premieres: “Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition.”
An artists’ conceptual rendering of the Franklin Institute’s “Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition,” which is slated to open Feb. 14.
The new exhibit spans eight galleries and tracks the history and world-building of Universal’s theme parks. It was created by the team at the Franklin, who hope it will introduce young visitors to science and tech careers in the theme park industry.
I’m hoping there’s a section about whatever alien incantation protects the E.T. Adventure ride, which opened in 1990 and is the last remaining original ride at Universal Studios Florida. The high-tech stuff is awesome, but there’s nothing that beats the nostalgia of that flying bicycle ride and the flashlight-fingered alien.
March 14: Ministry of Awe opens
The more I hear about the Ministry of Awe the less I understand it, and the more intrigued I become.
The permanent, six-story immersive art experience helmed by Philly muralist Meg Saligman inside of Manufacturers National Bank in Old City “transforms an abandoned 19th-century bank into a fantastical, seemingly impossible institution that trades in the many enigmatic facets of humanity,” according to its website.
Guests will be encouraged to question what they value and to wander the multimedia art space, which will lean into a banking theme and includes a room for counterfeiting. Actors will be on hand to enliven their experiences.
Muralist Meg Saligman inside of the still-under-construction Ministry of Awe in November. Opening date is March 14.
“There’s a teller that smells you. You will walk through and be delighted and surprised along the way,” Saligman told The Inquirer.
The Ministry of Awe says we all already have accounts open there and one thing is for certain, my interest rate is sky-high.
April 14 — May 31: ‘1776 The Musical’
There are not many musicals set in Philadelphia and the one thing you can say about 1776 is that it’s one of them.
The production about the events that led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence never became a juggernaut like Hamilton and didn’t produce any smash songs. But after rewatching the film version last Independence Day, I can safely say it’s still a pretty good musical. Especially if you hate John Adams, or love watching people hate on him.
While it would have been epic if this production could have been staged at Independence Hall this year, seeing it at the Walnut Street Theatre — the country’s oldest theater, which opened just 32 years after 1776 — is a close second.
April 16: Cruise ships begin sailing out of Philly
For the first time in nearly two decades, cruise ships will return to the region this spring, offering locals a chance to seas the day with an aquatic trip abroad.
Construction of the Port of Philadelphia (PhilaPort) Cruise Terminal began last month in Tinicum Township, Delaware County, at a site adjacent to the Philadelphia International Airport that was formerly known as the Hog Island Dock Terminal Facility.
(How’s that for a local word salad — a Philly port in Delco at a dock named after the place that may have inspired the word hoagie.)
A conceptual rendering of the future PhilaPort Cruise Terminal, a 16-acre site adjacent to Philadelphia International Airport.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has exclusive rights to sail out of the PhilaPort Cruise Terminal through March 2033. According to its website, the first voyage will be a seven-day round-trip to Bermuda.
Fear not the Bermuda Triangle, my fair Philadelphians, for we’ve weathered far stranger things here following Super Bowl wins, and on an average Tuesday.
April 18: Monster Jam at the Linc
If you think the Birds are beasts on their home turf, buckle up, because 12,000-pound trucks are coming to Lincoln Financial Field this spring as part of Monster Jam’s Stadium Championship Series.
Foam teeth line the front of the Megalodon monster truck at Monster Jam at Lincoln Financial Field in 2023.
When I hear Monster Jam my first thought is “It’s probably boysenberry,” or “I wonder if it’s as fun as a mash?” but if you have little ones who love things that go vroom — or you do — this auto be wheelie good time.
May: The Greyhound station reopens
Slated to come back from the dead this spring like it was Kenny or Jon Snow will be Philly’s intercity bus terminal, formerly known as the Greyhound station.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority will operate the terminal on behalf of the city, which has gone more than two years without a facility since Greyhound left the terminal at 10th and Filbert Streets in 2023 after 35 years.
Corner of the former Greyhound station at North 10th and Filbert Streets in 2018.
In the aftermath, buses used public street curbs to pick up travelers, who were forced to wait outdoors in the elements and had very little access to basic amenities, like bathrooms. The whole situation was bus-ted and I’ll be glad to see it fixed.
June 12: ‘Disclosure Day’ premieres
Filmed in parts of South Jersey last year and featuring Philly’s own Colman Domingo, Disclosure Day is an alien thriller from director Steven Spielberg that I can’t wait to get my tentacles on.
I love good sci-fi and this one has a screenplay by David Koepp, who also wrote the screenplay for Jurassic Park, one of my favorite movies of all time. The trailer for Disclosure Day is intriguing, unsettling, and reveals little about the plot, but I already find the movie authentic: If aliens were to land anywhere, South Jersey seems like a fitting place.
At the end of the trailer, a nun says “Why would He make a vast universe yet save it only for us?” which hearkens to a famous Carl Sagan quote:“The universe is a pretty big place. If it’s just us, seems like an awful waste of space.”
Aug. 30: Philadelphia Cycling Classic returns
If there’s one thing Philadelphians love doing, it’s partying while watching other people exercise and this year they’ll get to do it again at the Manayunk Wall when the Philadelphia Cycling Classic returns after a 10-year hiatus.
Held for 30 years before it was canceled in 2016 due to lack of sponsorship, the race follows a 14.4-mile course from Center City to Manayunk, where cyclists must climb the “Manayunk Wall,” a stretch of Levering Street with a 17% gradient.
Women cyclists pedal up Levering Street, aka the “Manayunk Wall,” during the Liberty Classic TD Bank International Championship race in 2011. The race is returning this year as the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic.
Back in the day, people partied like it was Two Street on New Year’s along the route in Manayunk, particularly at the Wall. As bikers cycled through the course, spectators cycled through kegs and cowbells, with some folks on Levering Street charging admission to their house parties and others hanging beer banner ads on their porches for a fee.
Also slated in 2026, but dates remain unknown:
A conceptual rendering of FloatLab, set to be installed at Bartram’s Garden on the Schuylkill in 2026.
Opening of Mural Arts’ FloatLab: Located in the Schuylkill at Bartram’s Garden, FloatLab is a 75-foot installation and environmental center that will be “a convergence of art, architecture, and nature,” according to its creator, J. Meejin Yoon. The sloped, ADA-compliant circular platform, which allows visitors to look eye-level at the river while standing in it, will serve as both an educational and artistic space.
Gimme my Philly money: To mark the nation’s 250th, the U.S. Mint is releasing quarters with Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell on them this year and I’m going to need some of those for my piggy bank. Just to be clear, this does not change the fact that I’m still salty at the Mint for stopping penny production. What will people put in their loafers? How will Penny from Pee-Wee’s Playhouse see? It’s just cents-less.
This new design for the quarter commemorates the U.S. Constitution and depicts Independence Hall in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were signed. The other side of this quarter has a depiction of President James Madison.
Rumored in 2026, but in no way confirmed:
From left: Thuso Mbedu (Aleah Clinton), Fabien Frankel (Anthony Grasso), Alison Oliver (Lizzie Stover), and Mark Ruffalo (Tom Brandis) in “Task.”
Task season 2: The Delco-set HBO thriller starring Mark Ruffalo was renewed for a second season and I’m hoping they start filming around Philly’s weirdest suburb this year (though creator Brad Ingelsby may have to write the script first). While it’s unclear if Ruffalo will reprise his role as FBI agent Tom Brandis, one of my resolutions this year is to frequent more local hoagie shops in the hopes of running into him, but also because I love hoagies.
Stranger Things spinoff?: Philly was named-dropped in the finale of the beloved sci-fi show, which got fans hypothesizing that the home of one of the greatest urban legends of all time — the Philadelphia Experiment — might be the setting for one of the confirmed spinoffs. Or it could just be subliminal advertising for Netflix House Philadelphia (which is actually in King of Prussia). An Instagram post from the show and Netflix on Wednesday only fueled rumors, with its caption: “meet me in philly.”
On what would have been the founder and late owner’s 93rd birthday, in front of a sellout crowd at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and with the faithful amped up, the Flyers dominated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2. It was their second straight win and fifth in the past seven games.
In between boos and words not safe for print, former Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier struck first for the Ducks with a power-play goal, celebrating with a “mark it” reaction. But the Flyers answered with four straight goals.
Trevor Zegras, who was acquired from the Ducks in June and has been off to a red-hot start with his new club, scored twice past goalie Lukáš Dostál in the first period — each from the same spot.
The first came at even strength, when Christian Dvorak, who signed a five-year extension on Monday, kept a bouncing puck in at the Ducks’ blue line. He carried it down and sent a no-look pass to Zegras between the bottom of the right circle and the goal line. The New York native sent a one-timer past Dostál from the sharp angle.
On the celebration, he “hung up the phone” on the Ducks. He said on NBCSP’s postgame show, “That’s how quick the phone call was before.”
Just over four minutes later, Zegras did it from almost the exact spot on a Flyers power play to give the home team a 2-1 lead. On this goal, it was Cam York who skated down and sent a no-look pass over to Zegras for the one-timer from the bottom of the right circle for his 17th goal of the season.
Zegras now has four games with two goals this season and 11 in his career. He has never had a hat trick.
Early in the second period, York got the puck at the point, and after walking the line a few steps, he put it on net. The puck appeared to be deflected on the way in, but York was awarded his third goal of the season.
Travis Sanheim pushed it to 4-1 after Noah Cates won a faceoff deep in the Ducks’ end back to him. The defenseman stepped into the puck and fired it home.
Anaheim’s Alex Killorn scored a power-play goal to cut it to 4-2 early in the third period, but Nikita Grebenkin added an empty-netter with 1 minute, 14 seconds left in the game.
And the Flyers dominated the game despite a decimated bench.
Bobby Brink left the game and did not return after a blindside hit by Jansen Harkins just 2:38 into the first period. Off the rush, Brink received a pass from Nikita Grebenkin and was skating toward the net when Harkins cut across the slot and clipped Brink.
Noah Cates went right after Harkins, and the two dropped the gloves. According to Hockeyfights.com, it is Cates’ first pro hockey fight. The site says he had one fight with Omaha of the United States Hockey League in 2018, dropping the gloves with Paul Cotter, who now plays for the New Jersey Devils. Cates said postgame he “wouldn’t consider that [USHL one] a fight,” and he doesn’t think he got a five-minute major.
In the second period, Jamie Drysdale was curling high in the offensive zone without the puck. Anaheim forward Ross Johnston was skating into the zone and appeared to stick out his right arm as Drysdale skated by. The puck was deep in the Ducks’ zone.
Drysdale, who was acquired in the deal for Gauthier almost two years ago to the day, lay on the ice and did not move for a considerable amount of time. The stretcher came out, and the doctors came out of the stands, but Drysdale sat up and skated off the ice with help.
But he did not return, and Johnston was handed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct. The play by Johnston came after Garnet Hathaway drilled Olen Zellweger — cleanly — in the offensive zone.
Flyers’ Noah Cates (right) shown during the second period of Tuesday’s game against Anaheim.
Breakaways
Hathaway also threw a huge hit into Ducks defenseman Ian Moore in the third period and dropped the gloves with former Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas. … Forward Nic Deslauriers and defenseman Noah Juulsen were healthy scratches. … Before the game, Flyers Charities presented the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation with a $300,000 donation for assistance with programming and operational support for four Philadelphia ice rinks.
Up next
The Flyers host Scott Laughton and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).
CALGARY, Alberta ― On Monday, Flyers coach Rick Tocchet joked that he was signed to a nondisclosure agreement by Hockey Canada. Travis Sanheim said it has been radio silence on his end.
But the writing has been on the wall since February, and now it’s official: Sanheim needs to brush up on his Italian because the Flyers defenseman will be playing for Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
He was nervous and didn’t get much sleep, but getting the early call on Wednesday was worth it.
“With the game last night [in Vancouver], we flew to Calgary and got in, I think it was just after 2 o’clock, and then my phone went off just before 8 local time,” Sanheim said via Zoom. “I was up pretty early, not a lot of sleep, and I usually have trouble after games anyway, and I was aware of that potential phone call coming.
“So just the excitement level and receiving that, and it means to represent your country and be a part of something like the Olympics, and I’ll take the sleepless night to take a phone call like that.”
The 29-year-old blueliner grew up on a grain farm in Elkhorn, Manitoba, a small town of less than 500 people — he has about 100 text messages to still get through from back home — and remembers watching Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. As a 13-year-old, Sanheim just wanted to make the NHL; he never expected to be lining up alongside the all-time great seeking a gold medal.
However, Sanheim opened a lot of eyes at the 4 Nations Face-Off last February. At first, the American and Canadian media questioned whether he even belonged, then he was a healthy scratch in the tournament opener. But in the end, he was manning the blue line on the opening shift of overtime in the championship game.
“You see these players, you compete against these players, but you don’t really know until you have them. And I’ve always, I’ve really liked his game,” Canada coach Jon Cooper told The Inquirer in November as he tried not to show his cards while complimenting the defenseman with a gleam in his eye and a little smile.
“I’m a big fan of big D that take up a lot of space, and can skate, and he can do all those things. But his ability to jump into plays, he’s got an offensive mind to him.”
The 6-foot-4, 222-pound defenseman also has an edge as a minute-muncher with the versatility to play either the left or right side. He can kill penalties and, as seen lately, he can play on the power play in a pinch.
Travis Sanheim celebrates after Canada’s victory in the 4 Nations Face-Off last February.
“He’s a guy who can play 25 minutes; they’re hard to find, those guys. When he’s on his game, he’s a really tough defender. He wheels the net, good skater,” said Tocchet, an assistant coach on Cooper’s Canada staff. “All I remember from the 4 Nations, when he went in the lineup, he really played well. He impressed Pete DeBoer, the D coach there. He impressed a lot of those guys.”
At 4 Nations, Sanheim was a little wide-eyed at Canada’s first practice in Brossard, Quebec. By the end, he had one assist in three games despite playing with three defensive partners.
“You step on the ice, and you look around and [there’s] guys you idolize growing up, and guys who are superstars in this league, and you don’t think that you really belong out there,” Sanheim told The Inquirer on Monday. “A lot of nerves, and then you start playing and realize that you belong and that you can compete with these guys. You get into a game, and the competitiveness comes out, and it’s just like any other hockey game.
“[I] just really enjoyed playing with those types of players, and they make the game really easy, and they don’t make too many bad decisions and are always in good spots. So you know, if you’re a smart player, I feel like they make it pretty easy to adjust to playing with that type of speed.”
Sanheim has donned the maple leaf several times before, including at the 2013 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2014 U18 World Championship, snagging a bronze medal at each tournament; the 2016 World Juniors; and, until last season, at the 2022 World Championships, winning silver. Aside from 4 Nations, he also played for Canada at the World Championships in May.
“I was watching the reveal myself today, and just sitting there, as proud as could be that I was one of those names named,” he said on Zoom.
“Just looking back a couple of years, and where my career has kind of come, and never thought that this day would happen. It just goes to show that the work and dedication that I’ve had and put into this game, and just trying to get better each and every day, and I still continue to do that.
“[I] feel like I can continue to grow my game and to get me at the level that I’m at now, and be able to play in an Olympic Games is really special, and something that I never thought was possible.”
Flyers winger Travis Konecny, who played alongside Sanheim with Canada at the 4 Nations, did not make the cut this time around.
But Sanheim is not the only Flyer booking tickets to Italy. In addition to Tocchet, forward Rodrigo Ābols made Latvia’s roster. The expectation is that goalie Dan Vladař and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen will be named to Czechia and Finland’s rosters, too. Sam Ersson is also in the mix for one of the three goalie spots with Sweden.
While rosters are due to be submitted today, the United States, Sweden, and Finland will reveal their rosters on Friday. The NHL will break from Feb. 6-24 for the hockey tournament, which will be played exclusively in Milan from Feb. 11-22.
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim has been a workhorse for the Flyers over the past few seasons.
Kids heading in for hockey practice at Scanlon Recreation Center in Kensington on Wednesday were hit with a big holiday surprise.
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim and Sixers guard Quentin Grimes were both on hand to gift $15,000 worth of hockey and basketball equipment, including new skates, helmets, and basketballs, through a partnership between the two teams and Bank of America. Gritty was also on-site in a Santa costume, of course.
“Sports is such a connector,” said Jim Dever, Bank of America Greater Philadelphia’s president. “No matter what your socio-economic level is, sports is just that. For us to make some dreams come through in an area that — certain sports are very expensive, so if we can help bridge that gap in some way, it’s just a great positive.”
After distributing the gear, Grimes joined the prepractice pizza party, and interacted with the kids before they started their skate.
“It’s the holiday season, I love giving back,” Grimes said. “I love being around the youth and to try to inspire them and give them some inspiration to always chase your dreams, and to give back for the holidays. It was really good, really fun.”
Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim hopped on the ice to skate with some of the young athletes taking part in the Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education program at the rink on Wednesday.
Then, Sanheim hopped on the ice to skate with some of the young athletes taking part in the Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education program at the rink for a free skate.
“It’s an expensive sport, so it’s hard for kids to get into, and so for us to allow them to have the gear to do it, it makes it easier for them to take it up,” Sanheim said. “I really hope that they enjoy it just as much as we do. We love the sport, and we were at their age when we started and took it up. So I hope we create hockey players out of this.”
Wednesday’s donation was the first of a series of equipment donations across the Philadelphia area as part of the partnership between the Flyers, Sixers, and Bank of America, with equipment purchased from C&M Sporting Goods in Havertown.
TAMPA BAY — Look, a power play isn’t expected to score every single time. It would be nice, but it just doesn’t happen.
The best one in the NHL right now has a 32% effectiveness, which means the Pittsburgh Penguins roughly score every three opportunities. Currently, the Flyers’ power play sits at 17.5%. The unit’s not last in the NHL — that belongs to the New York Islanders (13.3%), who the Flyers face on Black Friday (4 p.m., NBCSP) — but it does rank in the lower-third (23rd).
And while the Flyers’ power play struggled before and during the John Tortorella era, the ranking is all-too-familiar. Although the current coach, Rick Tocchet, thinks it’s in a good spot, it can be better.
“Everybody wants plays, but sometimes it’s good old-fashioned beat pressure and then attack, and we’ve got to get that mentality, and we’re close, but we’ve got to keep working,” he said on Saturday morning, adding two days later that he wants his players to play inside more.
Entering Monday’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m., NBCSP), the Flyers have 10 power-play goals. The last one came five games ago against the Edmonton Oilers — they are 0-for-8 since — and Tocchet said his units may be more interchangeable.
Practice on Friday had four more players involved, and on Saturday night in the Flyers’ 6-3 win against the New Jersey Devils, new power-play units were deployed.
Another tweak came on Monday in Florida.
One power play has Noah Cates, Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, Trevor Zegras, and Cam York. What? York and Zegras reunited? Makes a whole lot of sense that the two former USA Hockey teammates are together; York has been on the ice for eight power-play goals this season — just one without Zegras.
Konecny was also switched to that unit, and while he has played a lot on the left flank the past two seasons, he is back to his familiar bumper spot.
“I feel a little bit more comfortable in there. I feel like I can make quick little plays, be fast on loose pucks, and recovery, stuff like that. … On the power play, I got to know my strengths. And I think it’s, I don’t have the hands that Trevor has,” Konency said with a grin, alluding to Zegras’ effectiveness on the right flank to draw in defenders, create space, and find seams.
Flyers right wing Travis Konecny says he feels more comfortable in the bumper position on the power play and that he needs to play to his strengths.
The other power play has Travis Sanheim, Emil Andrae, Owen Tippett, Bobby Brink, and Matvei Michkov. No center? “It’s interchangeable,” Tocchet said.
Sean Couturier will be on the ice when there is a face-off, but when they switch units “on the run” or on the fly when play is happening, that is the unit that will be on the ice.
It’s also interesting having two defensemen, with Sanheim being more of the pointman and Andrae on a flank. Tocchet thinks Andrae is not only good with the puck but “his shot’s pretty good,” too. The Swedish defenseman, who has been moved to the second pairing, knew that he had to build up trust with the new coaching staff, and it looks like he has.
“I like to be on the power play,” Andrae said. “I like to make those plays, and like to use my vision and my passing to create chances. So obviously, it boosts my confidence to know that the coaches rely on me on that side of the game. So, yeah, just make the most of it.”
Sanheim, who hasn’t spent much time on the man advantage in his career, is looking forward to the opportunity. It’s something he’s “always wanted to add to my game.”
“I think they’ve been doing a pretty good job in trying to grasp some of the structural components of what they’re trying to get across,” said Sanheim, who has been able to watch a lot of the power plays this season from the bench.
“And I think it’s just continuing to make those reads and understanding certain situations, depending on how the penalty kill is structured. And, maybe that’s a benefit, I guess, [being on the penalty kill] so much and understanding what the other team’s doing and trying to exploit some of the weaknesses that come with that, and, in saying that, [I] just want to have an attack mentality and deliver pucks and hopefully do a good job of doing that.”
Speaking of Sanheim, the defenseman is continuing to build a strong case to be part of Canada’s team at the 2026 Milan Olympics. No pressure, but the guy on the other bench on Monday night just happens to be the one making the decisions. Lightning coach Jon Cooper will be Canada’s bench boss in Italy, but a plus for Sanheim is that they’ve already worked together, snagging a gold medal at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
“You see these players, you compete against these players, but you don’t really know till you have them. And I’ve always, I’ve really liked his game,” Cooper told The Inquirer about Sanheim. “I’m a big fan of big D that take up a lot of space, and can skate, and he can do all those things. But his ability to jump into plays, he’s got an offensive mind to him.”
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper, who will coach Canada at the Olympics, has been impressed with Travis Sanheim’s game over the past few years.
Sanheim seemed a little nervous and wide-eyed at the first practice in Brossard, Quebec, with Hockey Canada ahead of the 4 Nations. And while he didn’t start the tournament in the lineup, by the end — half due to injury and half due to his play — he was not just skating in the championship game but got the first shift of overtime. The familiarity and his ability to play both the left and the right side will help Sanheim once decision day comes.
“Anytime that you get to coach players, and you win with players, I always think there’s a familiarity. Past performance isn’t going to predict future success, and so the guy’s got to keep working, but he’s done a heck of a job so far,” Cooper said.
There’s another familiar face for Cooper on the Flyers bench. Tocchet was his assistant coach at 4 Nations and will be beside him again in Italy, making his Olympic debut.
Tocchet did a lot of the structure, faceoff planning, and in-game adjustments; he was a jack-of-all-trades for Cooper. But what Cooper loved most was how he would often meet with players 1-on-1 or in small groups to watch videos — over a garbage can. As Tocchet explained later, he would put his laptop on a garbage can and go over things, much like he did in his days with the Penguins. His assistants on the Flyers do it now, too.
“I couldn’t have surrounded myself with a better guy,” Cooper said. “I will tell you this, because his eye for the game and what happens in real time, having that talent is a real thing. And Tocc has that. He sees it, he processes it, and then gives you the information.
“And there were countless times at the 4 Nations that he made me think of things, or I saw things in a different light, or I missed something, and he caught it. And so many little adjustments we made in between periods, because of what Tocc did.”
