Sanheim earning 4 Nations consideration, Flyers coach hopes 'Hockey Canada is watching'

PHILADELPHIA -- Travis Sanheim knows when the 4 Nations Face-Off will be played, and the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman certainly has played well enough at the start of this season to warrant consideration for Canada's roster.

Going into the Flyers' game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, NBCSP), the 28-year-old has points in three straight games (two goals, four assists). That includes an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday that saw him play 31:07, the most ice time for any skater this season in a game that ended in regulation.

For the season, Sanheim is third on the Flyers with 12 points (five goals, seven assists). He's third in the NHL with an average of 25:35, including a League-high three games playing at least 30:00.

"It's not something that I've really been too concerned about," Sanheim said of the tournament, which will be held in Boston and Montreal from Feb. 12-20. "Just trying to get my game into a good spot, continue to get better every day, trying to help this team win hockey games. I know it's come up the last couple weeks, my name's been popped around. I have no idea where I'm at on that front. I guess we'll find out in a couple weeks.

"If I do get named, it would be obviously just a really proud moment for me. To be named to a national team is something that I would have never guessed, or to even be in consideration. Means a lot to represent your country, and if I get the chance to do it, I'd be really thrilled."

Flyers coach John Tortorella, who will be an assistant to Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh Penguins) for the United States at 4 Nations, certainly has his opinion.

"I hope Hockey Canada is watching, because if that guy isn't on that team when they pick that team. ... He's just been so impressive," Tortorella said. "He's taken off. He's got a level of confidence that is just outstanding."

Coming from Tortorella, that's more than just a coach sticking up for his player.

"The way I looked at 'Sanny' when I first saw him, he was a good skating boy," Tortorella said. "He skated well. To me, there was nothing else to his game."

In 2022-23, Tortorella's first season with the Flyers, Sanheim's ice time was cut to 20:24 per game, down from 22:58 the previous season, and the native of Elkhorn, Manitoba, was scratched for the Flyers' lone visit to Calgary on Feb. 20, where he played three seasons of junior hockey.

"I don't think he defended hard," Tortorella said. "I just didn't see a whole lot other than his skating ability, which stands out."

During that offseason Sanheim's name appeared in trade rumors.

"Obviously it was something that he recognized early on when he got here, is that he obviously thought that my game could get to a different level and wasn't satisfied with where it was at," Sanheim said. "At the time, I didn't maybe know exactly what he was [meant] and found it difficult at times."

Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw, who oversees defensemen, was tasked with building the bridge between what Tortorella wanted and Sanheim (6-foot-4, 222 pounds) needed to provide.

"I thought he was challenged by our head coach," Shaw said. "Took it personal, I guess, is the best way to say it. Came back with a purpose last year, added pounds, and had a conviction to his game. Had a way more follow me sort of attitude, I'll show you guys what's necessary on the ice."

A more motivated Sanheim set NHL bests last season with 10 goals and 44 points in 81 games, and slowly earned the trust of the coaching staff. He played 23:48 per game, at the time the highest total of his first seven NHL seasons.

Sanheim said the turnaround began when he stopped thinking and just started playing.

"It got to a point last season where sometimes you're overthinking it," he said. "You're going into the game thinking that you understand what [Tortorella] means and what he wants you to play, so you go and do something, and then all sudden you have another meeting and it's something else. And every day you keep second-guessing yourself.

"I think I got to a point last season where I was just so comfortable with where my game was and that I knew exactly what he [meant], because now I knew what my standard was, and that standard was just so high, it was so consistent. I was doing it every night, so I knew exactly what he wanted."

The only issue the coaching staff has now is not overplaying him.

"He is a hard guy not to put on the ice in every situation," Shaw said. "He's a guy that's transporting the puck. He's seeing the ice. He's making plays, he's passing with a level of confidence that's off the charts. And he plays physical. There's really nothing that he's not doing right now."

Whether that carries into a spot for Canada at 4 Nations isn't something on the front of Sanheim's mind. He's played for Canada at international tournaments, winning a bronze medal at the 2014 IIHF World Under-18 Championship and silver at the 2022 IIHF World Championship.

But being part of the first best-on-best tournament featuring NHL players since the World Cup of Hockey 2016 would be validation for what he's accomplished.

"I think the biggest thing is just recognizing how many guys come from Canada and the guys around the League," Sanheim said. "You think about the guy that we're going to play tonight on the back end, Cale Makar. To even be in consideration to play in a lineup that has him and Nathan MacKinnon and [Connor] McDavid and [Sidney] Crosby and some of these guys, something that I didn't even think was possible."

His coach certainly didn't believe it was possible either, but Sanheim has converted Tortorella into one of his biggest fans.

"He has grown, and there's more there," Tortorella said. "He's impressive. For me watching on the sidelines, it's really fun to watch a guy grow like that."