Calgary Flames thumper Martin Pospisil was looking forward to a few days of fun in the sun.
As he put it prior to his beach escape this week: “It’s going to be good for my body and for my mind to refocus.”
Pospisil won’t be getting a mid-winter vacation next year — and he is just fine with that, too.
The 4 Nations Face-Off is reminding us all why we’ve been missing best-on-best hockey and only boosting the excitement for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
It will mark the first time since Sochi in 2014 that the NHL is sending its stars to the five-ring showcase.
Starting with Pospisil, who should be a shoo-in, here are six Flames who could score an invite to represent their countries on that significant stage.
Martin Pospisil, Slovakia
There’s little doubt that Pospisil, who is leading the Flames in hits for a second consecutive campaign, will be crashing and banging on behalf of Slovakia at the 2026 Winter Games. He was, after all, among their go-to guys at the most recent world championship tournament and also at an Olympic qualifier this past summer. We still have a couple of questions — Will this speedster be asked to play pivot, as he has at other international events, or will he instead be working the wing, where the Flames believe he can create the most havoc? And will he be able to share his Olympic moment with his older brother Kristian, who skates in the Czech League and earned bronze at Beijing 2022?
Rasmus Andersson, Sweden
Andersson is the Flames’ lone rep at the 4 Nations Face-Off. That bodes well for his Olympic aspirations, even though he was among Sweden’s scratches for their overtime loss to Canada in Wednesday’s tournament opener in Montreal. Andersson is a do-everything defenceman for the Flames — big minutes, gutsy shot-blocks, both sides of special teams — and his heart-on-his-sleeve style can help to set the tone for any troupe. After waiting more than a decade for another opportunity to wear his national colours, could he be decked out in yellow and blue again in February 2026?
MacKenzie Weegar, Canada
Weegar might feel like he was cut twice from this latest edition of Team Canada. After he was left off the initial roster for the 4 Nations, he was among those to receive a courtesy call from the brass, a heads-up that it had been a very difficult decision. He was strongly considered again as a potential replacement for Alex Pietrangelo, but Drew Doughty snagged that spot. Maybe next time? The folks at Hockey Canada haven’t forgotten Weegar’s stellar performance at worlds in 2023 and his versatility — this righty rearguard is comfortable and capable on either side of a pairing — is a great trait.
Dustin Wolf, USA
The U.S. is stacked at this position, with their 4 Nations crease crew comprised of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Jeremy Swayman. Where Wolf could be a factor for 2026 is if the Americans choose to allocate their third goalie spot to an up-and-comer, a dude who could benefit from the experience and be a candidate for a major role in 2030. Wolf, who turns 24 in April, is probably a long-shot in this discussion, but haven’t we learned better than to describe him that way? In the midst of a Calder Trophy-calibre campaign, the Flames’ rising star has certainly put himself on the radar.
Mikael Backlund, Sweden
If Backlund concludes his career without an Olympic appearance, bad timing will be to blame. He would have been very much in the mix in 2018, when he was selected at springtime to captain Sweden’s golden group at the world championship, and again in 2022. While he remains a stalwart in a shutdown role, Backlund will turn 36 next month and was overlooked for the 4 Nations. He’ll need to stave off Father Time and outperform some of the youngsters to make his way to Milano Cortina. It would be a shame if Calgary’s captain doesn’t get the chance.
Sam Honzek, Slovakia
Honzek was ahead of schedule when he cracked the Flames’ opening-night roster in the fall, so it shouldn’t sound any alarms that he has been in the minors for the past three-and-a-half months. Remember, he is only 20. He’s also one of just four Slovak forwards to log any NHL action this season, which should make him a top candidate for his first of what could be multiple trips to the Olympics. Honzek won’t lack motivation for his summer workouts with Pospisil. He wants to join his buddy as a full-timer with the Flames and he wants that invite to Italy, too.