VOORHEES, N.J. -- When it comes to hockey at the Winter Olympics, consider Travis Konecny a casual viewer - at least, up until now.
It's understandable why he wouldn't be glued to his seat and riveted by the action. After all, Konecny was one of those players who was on the bubble for making Team Canada and ended up missing out, so taking a mental health break from his job - especially one that has been rooted in so much frustration and disappointment makes sense.
Konecny was a member of Team Canada in the Four Nations tournament a year ago as well as the World Championships last summer. But, he knew he was among a small group of players who needed to have a fast start to the season if he was going to make the Olympic team, and it didn't come to pass.
In his first 23 games, even though the Flyers were playing good hockey (13-7-3) Konecny's production was underwhelming. He had just 17 points (5 goals, 12 assists) in that time. His game was off. His mistakes stuck out like a Granny Smith in a bushel of Red Delicious apples.
And while the Team Canada rosters weren't officially finalized until several weeks later, it was obvious to Konecny that his uneven start was going to seal his fate.
"I knew that I didn't do what I had to do to make it and that's really not on anyone but myself," Konecny said after the Flyers first practice back from the Olympic break on Tuesday. "They are always going to take the guys that deserve to be there and I wasn't in that conversation."
No, you take it. No, you take it. No, you take it.
Trevor Zegras finishes this on 2-on-0 with Travis Konecny. pic.twitter.com/xaI1VCp1Fm
Konecny admitted that he wanted to be a part of the Olympic team and that there were times in that first quarter of the season where he let it bother him that his game wasn't where it needed to be to make it.
"I knew going into the year that some guys had it locked in to go and there was probably a group of us that had to make it again," he said. "I knew I was on that list and it was definitely on my mind. I wanted to be there. You know, the Olympics don't come around that often, so it was a bummer.
"It's not something [where I was] going home saying, 'I'm not playing as well as I could because of that.' But definitely (there were) times where I was trying to push knowing there's only so much time until the deadline to make the team. I don't think it played into my play, but it was definitely in the back of my mind."
It's a shame Team Canada didn't have more time, because the next two-plus months, Konecny played like a guy who deserved a spot.
Starting with a two assist game in a 5-3 win in New Jersey on Nov. 29, Konecny posted 37 points (17G, 20A) in 32 games and in that span never went more than one game without registering at least one point.
He leads the Flyers in scoring with 54 points as well as goals (22) and assists (32). And he has single-handedly tried to drag his team from the murkiness of their bad play over the course of one month in which they lost 12 of 15 (3-8-4) and in the process fell eight points out of a playoff spot, albeit with two games in hand.
And he did the latter while being banged up and playing through pain. He blocked a shot with his foot in a game in Columbus last month and could barely skate, but when on to score a hat trick in the game anyway. He had some other bumps and bruises but never came out of the lineup.
Scott Laughton had a lot to say about his friend and former teammate Travis Konecny. 😂 pic.twitter.com/zjpR6JJ51a
"Going through that time, not playing at 100% and then be able to have the success he had was something that really impressed me and certainly had a huge impact on our team," said assistant coach Todd Reirden, who is running practices while head coach Rick Tocchet serves as an assistant coach for Team Canada. "Major credit to him for battling through and hopefully this time away allowed him to get back to close to 100%. He certainly looked good and ready to go today."
The Flyers first practice back included the full team minus Tocchet, and players Travis Sanheim, Rasmus Ristolainen and Dan Vladar, all who are playing for teams still in the Men's tournament at the Olympics.
Goalie prospect Carson Bjarnason was with the team to give them a second goalie at practice to join Sam Ersson. Young defensemen Hunter McDonald and Oliver Bonk will join them Wednesday to give them a full complement of rearguards at practice.
Bjarnason robs Konecny pic.twitter.com/JBkkao6w8D
The majority of the practice time was working on small area plays and passing drills through pylons so players can get their hands back and then intense skating drills toward the end of the practice to help them find their legs and their lungs.
And while everyone's eyes were on Matvei Michkov, whose conditioning has been a polarizing topic this season for the Flyers and their fans, talking to Michkov is still not an option as the team doesn't have a Russian language interpreter handy as Slava Kuznetsov, who typically translates for Michkov, is also at the Olympics because he is the skating coach for U.S. figure skater and South Jersey-native Isabeau Levito.
So, finding out about Michkov's work during the break, which included a short trip with his girlfriend to the Dominican Republic that he posted photos and videos from to Instagram during a time when many fans thought he'd be training in South Jersey, was going to have to be put off for a bit.
Meanwhile, there was Konecny, leading the way in his group at the drills. Skating hard. Leading by example. Showing why he wears a letter on his jersey.
And he'll do it again on Wednesday. And then again on Thursday. And every day the team is practicing before resuming its season next Wednesday in Washington.
But in that time, he'll now keep an eye on Team Canada - and with the knockout round is upon us, he'll be a little more dialed in, especially with his good friend Sanheim and his cousin Bo Horvat of the New York Islanders both on the team.
"I'm still cheering for them," he said, with a wry smile.
