The men’s Olympic hockey tournament begins today in Sochi, Russia, and will conclude with the gold medal game on Feb. 23.
Wednesday will see two preliminary games involving two of the Flyers’ five Olympians -- Jakub Voracek (Czech Republic) and Mark Streit (Switzerland). For a full schedule of where to catch the Flyers' Olympic participants, click here.
The Czechs will have their hands full with Sweden while the upstart Swiss team meets Latvia.
Here were their thoughts going into the games when asked about the Olympics recently:
Q: Your fourth Olympics, Mark. Is it the same or different this many times around?
Streit: It’s always different. Not so many different experiences. Sometimes the surroundings are really good and the performance of the team is not very great. Sometimes it’s other way around. When you get there you want to be successful for the team. We want to reach our goals. Every year when the NHL takes part in the Olympics, it’s the best hockey tournament of all-time. A lot of skill and competition. Guys are excited. Great for the fans as well. Fans love watching Olympic hockey.
Q: First Olympics for you, Jake. Nervous?
Voracek: I don’t get nervous. Maybe I’m cool right now and will be nervous when I get there. Obviously, it’s tops in my hockey career, so far. It’s very exciting to play for your country in the Olympics.
Q: What are your expectations?
Streit: Swiss hockey has come a long way and done well at the last World Championships. We have a pretty good team with a good mix of younger and older players. If you’re in a tough group, it’s a big challenge with Sweden and the Czech Republic and Latvia. We don’t want to hide. We want to show what we’re capable of. Every game you start from scratch and want to win. We have high hopes.
Voracek: Every year, Canada expects to get a gold. So many quality teams and so many quality goalies. I think the goalies are the biggest part of the teams. When they are playing well, it builds confidence and the teams play better. It’s going to be about how lucky you get. How hot the goalie is. Some guys get hot at the right moment. The top six, seven countries and even Swiss now is a very dangerous team. Everybody skates now. It’s tough to win. My expectation? It will be great.
Q: Can the Olympics help a veteran like yourself in the stretch run or playoffs?
Streit: Absolutely, I think so. The level of hockey is going to be high. High competition and high-speed game. It’s a bigger rink with a lot of skating. I think it’s going to help my game. If you got the opportunity to play on a world stage like that, you have to take advantage of it. Doesn’t matter how old you are. If you have the right mindset, you can get better every day.
Q: Jake, when Simon Gagne and Claude Giroux went to their first All-Star Games, they spoke to how it changed them afterward. What will your first Olympics do for you in the future as an NHLer?
Voracek: It will be a huge boost to me. It doesn’t happen to every player, every day. The Olympics are the Olympics. I’m pretty sure it’s going to help me more than hurt me. I just have to build on it and build on my confidence carrying over to the Flyers.
Q: If you weren’t going, would you have preferred to keep playing given how hot the Flyers have been, or would you have preferred rest for the stretch run?
Streit: I would always prefer playing. Rest is important but this is the Olympics. It’s a dream for every athlete. For many it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even if it’s my fourth time, it’s still great. I’m still going to have a blast. I’d rather go to Sochi than Miami.
Voracek: Everybody is different. I don’t think rest will hurt you. It depends on the player. How you play and your team plays. If you are confident, you want to keep playing. If you are not, you want rest and [to] get away from the rink a little bit, change batteries and get going again. Both sides have a perspective. You get rest and it carries over into the playoffs. If you play, it can help you build on it. Two sides to it.