There’s no doubt that in the life of a professional hockey player, few experiences compare to suiting up for your home country and competing on the international stage, whether at the World Juniors, World Championships, or the Olympics. With the revival of best-on-best international hockey currently underway with the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics next year, there is plenty to look forward to if you’re a hockey fan.

Fellow FlamesNation writer Coleman Miller recently published an article discussing the many NHL players who didn’t get the opportunity to represent their home country at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Among those names are a few familiar Flames who, under different circumstances, could have seen themselves wearing their country’s flag on their chest. Let’s explore who they are and their chances of doing so in the future.

Among all the Flames not represented at the 4 Nations Face-Off, Pospisil is likely the most probable player to suit up in his country’s colours in the very near future. The native of Zvolen, Slovakia, has built quite a reputation around the NHL over the past year as a physical player that many opponents dislike playing against. While he is not an overly offensive player, he excels at creating space on the ice for his linemates and never hesitates to stand up for his teammates.

Pospisil has represented Slovakia at various levels. He played at the 2019 World Juniors, appeared at the 2024 World Championships, and most recently played a significant role for Slovakia in the Olympic qualifiers this past September. His best international performance came at last year’s World Championships. Coming off his first NHL season, Pospisil finished third in team scoring with three goals and four assists in seven games. Slovakia was ultimately eliminated in the quarter-finals by Team Canada.

With the Olympics a year away, you should expect to see Pospisil round out a Slovakian forward core that includes the likes of Juraj Slafkovský (MTL) and Tomáš Tatar (NJD).

Sharangovich hails from Minsk, Belarus. Only 20 Belarusian players have ever worn an NHL jersey, and despite being just 26 years old, Sharangovich has already proven himself to be one of the best. With 187 career NHL points, he ranks fourth all-time among Belarusians, trailing only Ruslan Salei (204), Andrei Kostitsyn (222), and Mikhail Grabovski (296).

Sharangovich has represented Belarus internationally multiple times—at the World Juniors in 2016 and 2018, as well as at the World Championships in 2018 and 2021. While he has not found much success with the national team, he did put together a solid performance at the 2018 World Juniors, recording three goals and two assists in six games.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to envision another opportunity for Sharangovich to represent Belarus internationally. With the country currently banned from international competition and a lack of strong hockey talent, Sharangovich’s only hope may be a potential inclusion on a “Team Europe” in a future tournament.

Among the five active Belarusian NHL players, the Flames happen to have two on their roster. Born in Mogilev, Belarus, Solovyov has done well for himself after being selected in the seventh round of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. He has made a name for himself within the Flames organization as a solid depth defenceman and could be given a real shot in the NHL for the remainder of this season.

Like Sharangovich, Solovyov has had the opportunity to represent Belarus on the international stage. While he never played at the World Juniors, he did suit up for the U-17 team in 2017, the U-18 team in 2018, and the World Championship team in 2021. He was never a significant impact player in these tournaments, appearing in roughly half of his team’s games and recording just three points overall.

Solovyov’s international prospects are even bleaker than Sharangovich’s. While he would be a lock to make Team Belarus, that does not seem to be a possibility in the near future. Even if Team Europe were to make a return, it’s unlikely Solovyov would earn a spot. Only time will tell if he will have the chance to represent his home nation again.

The Flames’ backup goaltender, originally from Prague, Czechia, is one of many options the Czech national team could consider. Now in his third season with the Flames, Vladar has not had the season he likely hoped for, playing behind Calder hopeful Dustin Wolf. Consistency has not been Vladar’s strong suit—while he has shown flashes of brilliance that suggest he could be an NHL starter, most of the time his performance has reflected more of what he currently is as a solid backup.

Vladar has a fair amount of experience with the Czech national teams, though most of it came in his junior days and in lesser-known tournaments. His most recent international appearance came at the 2017 World Juniors, where he served as Czechia’s backup goalie. He played two games in the tournament, losing both while allowing eight goals on 59 shots against Denmark and Sweden.

Looking at Team Czechia’s goaltending depth, competition for spots is strong. NHL veteran Petr Mrázek (CHI) is likely a lock, leaving one or two spots open for the likes of Lukáš Dostál (ANA), Karel Vejmelka (UTH), Vítek Vaněček (SJS), David Rittich (LAK) and Vladar. Based on recent play, Vladar appears to be on the outside looking in. However, with the Olympics a year away and the possibility of a fresh opportunity via trade or free agency, things could change.

Adam Klapka (CZE): In a tournament where only NHL players were selected, Klapka’s size could potentially earn him a spot on the national team roster. However, if European-based players are also considered, it seems unlikely he would make the cut at this stage of his career.

With other Flames such as MacKenzie Weegar, Mikael Backlund, and potentially, even a revived Jonathan Huberdeau all worthy of national team consideration, the Flames should be represented on the international stage for years to come.