Panthers Prospect Sandis Vilmanis Earns Spot on Latvia's Olympic Roster

Florida Panthers winger Sandis Vilmanis has been named to Team Latvia's 2026 Milano Cortina Olympic roster. The 21-year-old is in his second season with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, where he has scored eight goals and 19 points in 31 games, on pace to surpass his rookie numbers. A former fifth-round pick (157th overall) in the 2022 NHL draft, Vilmanis, standing 6-foot-1, 192 pounds, has rapidly ascended the Panthers' prospect pool and has represented Latvia at the World Junior Championship three times.