Dan Vladar (Flyers Goaltender) is set to make his Olympic debut today representing Team Czechia (Czech Republic) at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. He was the backup in Czechia’s opener on Thursday against Canada, but he’s slated to start in net for their game today against France.
This marks his first Olympic appearance, though he’s represented Czechia before at events like the IIHF World Championship (where he had a strong showing in 2025) and World Juniors. At 28, Vladar is one of three NHL goalies on Czechia’s roster alongside Lukas Dostal (Anaheim Ducks) and Karel Vejmelka (Utah Mammoth), giving the team solid depth in net.He’s sporting a special new goalie mask paying homage to his hometown of Prague, and he’s expressed excitement about the opportunity—calling it a dream come true while noting the focus once the games begin (“horse blinders, no friends” when facing opponents like his Flyers teammate Travis Sanheim on Canada).
Czechia is motivated after being snubbed from the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, and with NHL players back in the Olympics for the first time since 2014, this is a big moment for Vladar and the team. Good luck to him today!
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