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Dan Vladar gets brutally honest on Olympic snub
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The Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar is currently in Italy preparing for Team Czechia's run at the 2026 Olympics. It comes alongside news that the country has been snubbed from the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off, and it will be fair to say the 28-year-old goaltender is not happy with the news.
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"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," he said, per a clip posted on X by Beasley Media Digital's Colin Newby.
Vladar made it clear that the Czech camp was disappointed after being left out of the NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off, especially given the country's international pedigree and history of success on the global stage. Instead, the likes of Team Canada, Team USA, Team Sweden, and Team Finland were invited as participants.
The goaltender acknowledged that Czechia may not have the same volume of NHL talent it once had, but he still believes the team has enough quality to compete at the highest level.
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"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," he explained.
The snub has undoubtedly given the group extra motivation heading into the 2026 Winter Olympics, where the Czechs will look to prove they belong among the traditional powerhouses. Despite representing his country at events like the World Juniors and the IIHF World Championship, this will be Vladar's first true best-on-best tournament.
The broader outlook for Czechia remains optimistic, largely because of its goaltending depth. Vladar is part of a strong trio that includes Lukas Dostal and Karel Vejmelka , all of whom have produced solid NHL seasons.
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