VOORHEES, N.J. — Please excuse Rasmus Ristolainen if he makes a big deal about his Olympic bronze medal with Finland.

After all, the 31-year-old Flyers defenseman has played 13 seasons in the NHL and never competed in so much as one Stanley Cup playoff game. Participating in the Winter Olympics in Milan is about as close as he’s gotten to hockey greatness.

Tuesday, Ristolainen returned to Flyers practice thrilled at his Olympic moment.

“It was a lot of fun, very exciting,” Ristolainen said. “I thought I played pretty well. Obviously you go there to win. We were close but it still feels pretty good.”

Playing against the best players in the world and holding his own should only build Ristolainen’s confidence.

“I hope so,” he said. “I feel really confident in my game. Hopefully I can bring it here and we have a good run here.”

The whole experience, he said, was positive, including getting to see friends he grew up with come out to support him.

Ristolainen, who’s been paired with Nick Seeler for the Flyers, has one year left on a contract that pays him $5.1 million annually. He’s been the subject of trade rumors, but there’s not much a player can do about that unless he has an iron-clad no-trade clause.

This is nothing new for Ristolainen. He’s been down this road before.

“Those are things you can’t really control,” said Ristolainen, who was acquired from Buffalo in 2021. “You try to do your part, get better every day. What happens, happens.”

He would like to be around for a possible push to the playoffs, though the Flyers could be headed to a possible franchise-record sixth straight season out of postseason play.

“I think we’ve shown in the past that we’re confident,” he said. “I heard the guys here had a really good week of practice. So I think we’re ready to make a push.”

Ristolainen would also like to get finally get into a playoff game after 13 long years split between Buffalo and Philadelphia.

“I think that’s why you play the game, you play to win,” he said. “That’s when I feel I’m at my best. It was nice to play in the (Olympic) tournament where the games mean so much. The bigger the stage, the better I perform.”

Ristolainen said he’s keeping the treasured bronze medal at home.

“I’m just happy I didn’t lose it after the game,” he said. “That would have been tough.”