SUNRISE, Fla. — Nine Florida Panthers players are heading to Milan to represent their home countries in the Winter Olympics, marking the first time professional hockey players will compete in the Games in more than a decade.
Among those making the journey are two Panthers representing Team Latvia: defenseman Uvis Balinskis and forward Sandis Vilmanis.
WATCH BELOW: Panthers' Sandis Vilmanis ready for Olympic debut with Latvia
We sat down with Vilmanis to discuss how making the Olympic roster caps off what has already been the biggest year of his career.
"Just talk about what this year means to you; it has to have been a whirlwind so far," WPTV anchor Meghan McRoberts asked.
"Oh yeah, it's just a lot of emotions. Good emotions. Super excited to go and super excited to come here, too, so I'm just looking forward to that journey," Vilmanis said.
In January, Vilmanis, 22, earned a spot on Latvia's Olympic team. Days later, he reached another milestone with his NHL debut for the Panthers. Now he's preparing to showcase Latvia's maroon and white jersey on the world's biggest stage.
"Going to the Olympics wearing a Latvia jersey is just an honor to wear a national jersey. Can't wait for it," Vilmanis said.
Having Balinskis as a teammate provides comfort for the young forward.
"It's awesome. It's just another point of getting easier here or getting confident because he's here," Vilmanis said.
Latvia may not have size on its side, but Vilmanis believes its connection will be its strength.
"We're a small, small country. It's just the big hearts… and being passionate about hockey. I think if we can work together, we can do really big things," Vilmanis said.
With just five days between landing in Milan and facing Team USA in their opener, chemistry will need to develop quickly.
"I haven't really played a lot with a lot of the guys, but I know them personally, I've talked to them or spent time with them together, so I think it's just going to be that chemistry and connection between us to help us build something really good there," Vilmanis said.
Latvia's Olympic opener against Team USA will feature Panthers on both sides of the ice, creating an interesting dynamic for Vilmanis.
When asked about facing his Panthers teammates, Vilmanis singled out one player in particular.
"I think (Matthew Tkachuk). He's pretty hard to play against, I know we play the U.S. in the first game, so I hope he goes easy on us," Vilmanis said.
For Vilmanis, the Olympics represent more than just hockey. The Olympic Games will bring him closer to his family and allow him to represent both his country and his NHL team with pride.
"Just spending time with the guys that I haven't seen in a while and talking in Latvian, so get some jokes out, and my family is coming, so I'm really looking forward to seeing them," Vilmanis said.
WPTV anchors Mike Trim and Meghan McRoberts will be following the Panthers players' Olympic journey, making the trip to Italy to cover their pursuit of gold.
The Opening Ceremony takes place Friday and will be broadcast on WPTV.
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