PHILADELPHIA – Travis Sanheim has never gotten close to winning a Stanley Cup with the Flyers so for now, a 4 Nations Face-Off gold medal with Canada will have to suffice.
The defenseman saw plenty of ice time in the championship game last Thursday in which Canada defeated the United States in overtime, 3-2.
At Tuesday morning’s pre-game skate at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J., Sanheim said the experience was fun but also valuable to his career and how he plays the game.
When you’re out on the ice or in the locker room with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, it’s a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open and give your speaking voice a rest.
“Yeah, I learned a lot,” Sanheim said. “Probably a lot of lessons I never would have imagined, that I would be a part of. Just very fortunate with the opportunity I had and then to have that outcome, it’s something I’ll cherish forever.
“I just learned a lot of different things from a lot of great players.”
Competing with so many outstanding players and making a significant contribution can only boost the 28-year-old Sanheim’s confidence.
“You get on the ice with those guys, you start playing and you realize you’re capable of playing at that level,” Sanheim said. “I think it’s really going to help me and help my game continue to grow here with those experiences. Realizing the confidence I should have and the abilities that I have. Really looking forward to how that’s going to help my game grow.”
Just watching a hockey icon like Crosby operate on a day-to-day basis should be helpful.
“A lot of those guys, it’s how they are in the moment,” Sanheim said. “In between periods, what they’re saying and how they’re acting. Their reactions to whether you’re winning or losing. Just being a pro.
“It’s something I haven’t experienced in some of those situations. I want to take those as lessons and try to bring them back here and continue to grow that side of my game as well.”
Someone such as Crosby, who’s competing against the Flyers the next two games, doesn’t win three Stanley Cups by accident.
“Everyday he comes with the right attitude,” Sanheim said. “He wants to get better. He’s always working on his craft. How he is, how he handles the guys. His calmness, whether we’re winning or losing. You would never guess how the game is going. There’s a reason he’s won as much as he has.”
Sanheim entered Tuesday night’s game third on the Flyers in points (27), trailing only forwards Travis Konecny (61) and rookie Matvei Michkov (36).
The pace of regular-season hockey might be a step slower than 4 Nations and for Sanheim, that could be a good thing.
“I think just trying to play at that level,” Sanheim said of his intention. “Bring that back here, play at that speed. Realizing you can play with those guys who play at that pace.
“Even going against Connor (McDavid) the other day (in the game against Edmonton), I felt more comfortable. I’ve been practicing with him for a couple weeks. Going one-on-one against him I felt pretty comfortable. . .being able to contain him.”
Sanheim was joined in the tournament by Flyer teammates Sam Ersson (Sweden) and Travis Konecny (Canada), who both saw limited action.
Coach John Tortorella, serving as an assistant coach for the United States, got a bird’s-eye view of Sanheim’s work in a pair of games between the two nations.
“I thought he played really well,” Tortorella said of Sanheim’s performances. “Just to be around that and see how people act. How they go about it.
“There was no question what was going to happen in that tournament, how hard the competition was going to be. Watching how others raise their level of competition can only help.”>Pelletier’s potential
The defenseman saw plenty of ice time in the championship game last Thursday in which Canada defeated the United States in overtime, 3-2.
At Tuesday morning’s pre-game skate at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, N.J., Sanheim said the experience was fun but also valuable to his career and how he plays the game.
When you’re out on the ice or in the locker room with the likes of Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, it’s a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open and give your speaking voice a rest.
“Yeah, I learned a lot,” Sanheim said. “Probably a lot of lessons I never would have imagined, that I would be a part of. Just very fortunate with the opportunity I had and then to have that outcome, it’s something I’ll cherish forever.
“I just learned a lot of different things from a lot of great players.”
Competing with so many outstanding players and making a significant contribution can only boost the 28-year-old Sanheim’s confidence.
“You get on the ice with those guys, you start playing and you realize you’re capable of playing at that level,” Sanheim said. “I think it’s really going to help me and help my game continue to grow here with those experiences. Realizing the confidence I should have and the abilities that I have. Really looking forward to how that’s going to help my game grow.”
Just watching a hockey icon like Crosby operate on a day-to-day basis should be helpful.
“A lot of those guys, it’s how they are in the moment,” Sanheim said. “In between periods, what they’re saying and how they’re acting. Their reactions to whether you’re winning or losing. Just being a pro.
“It’s something I haven’t experienced in some of those situations. I want to take those as lessons and try to bring them back here and continue to grow that side of my game as well.”
Someone such as Crosby, who’s competing against the Flyers the next two games, doesn’t win three Stanley Cups by accident.
“Everyday he comes with the right attitude,” Sanheim said. “He wants to get better. He’s always working on his craft. How he is, how he handles the guys. His calmness, whether we’re winning or losing. You would never guess how the game is going. There’s a reason he’s won as much as he has.”
Sanheim entered Tuesday night’s game third on the Flyers in points (27), trailing only forwards Travis Konecny (61) and rookie Matvei Michkov (36).
The pace of regular-season hockey might be a step slower than 4 Nations and for Sanheim, that could be a good thing.
“I think just trying to play at that level,” Sanheim said of his intention. “Bring that back here, play at that speed. Realizing you can play with those guys who play at that pace.
“Even going against Connor (McDavid) the other day (in the game against Edmonton), I felt more comfortable. I’ve been practicing with him for a couple weeks. Going one-on-one against him I felt pretty comfortable. . .being able to contain him.”
Sanheim was joined in the tournament by Flyer teammates Sam Ersson (Sweden) and Travis Konecny (Canada), who both saw limited action.
Coach John Tortorella, serving as an assistant coach for the United States, got a bird’s-eye view of Sanheim’s work in a pair of games between the two nations.
“I thought he played really well,” Tortorella said of Sanheim’s performances. “Just to be around that and see how people act. How they go about it.
“There was no question what was going to happen in that tournament, how hard the competition was going to be. Watching how others raise their level of competition can only help.”>Pelletier’s potential
Although Andrei Kuzmenko was the headliner in the recent Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee trade with Calgary, the Flyers also picked up what could be a valuable asset in Jakob Pelletier. He held his own in his debut on Saturday against Edmonton.
Tortorella likes what he’s seen so far.
“He’s an energy guy,” Tortorella said. “He’s a guy that’s trying to find his footing in the National Hockey League, trying to become a full-fledged National Hockey Leaguer. I think when you get a player like that in a short stint of games, I think it gives him a really good chance to show who he is. I think we have him at a good time. I think he’s a guy who can add some juice when we need a boost.”
