The most prominent Latvia-born players to reach the NHL are defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh, who helped the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup in 1996 and played 875 games in 15 NHL seasons, and goalie Arturs Irbe, who had 218 wins and 33 shutouts in 13 seasons.

In January, Vilmanis, 21, 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.

The NHL not participating in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing opened the door for players outside the league to step up, and the standout turned out to be a 17-year-old prospect. Juraj Slafkovsky scored seven goals to help Slovakia take home the bronze medal — its first of any color in the country's history at the Games.

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.