PHILADELPHIA — Christian Dvorak bet on himself when he signed with the Flyers as a free agent. Monday, he came away a big winner. A new five-year contract worth $25.75 million, signed Monday, certainly qualifies as big. It goes back to Dvorak’s decision to sign a one-year free-agent deal with th e Flyers on July 1 for $5.4 million. He might have gotten more years or more money elsewhere, but both the player and the Flyers were comfortable with this arrangement. And it’s paying off for the 29-year-old Illinois native. “I believe I had more offensively,” Dvorak said on Tuesday. “That’s kind of why I took the one-year deal. I kind of bet on myself. Thought I had a good opportunity here. My teammates, I have to thank them, too. They’ve been good to me.” General manager Daniel Briere spoke before Tuesday night’s game against Anaheim and sounded relieved that Dvorak will stay in the fold. He confirmed what Dvorak had said about betting on himself. “What I like about Christian is, he bet on himself going into this season,” Briere said. “Took a one-year deal, we wanted to get to know him a little better. Since he arrived, a total pro. He’s a good example for our players and for all our young guys coming up. “I’m excited about what he’s bringing to the rest of the team. Plays both ends of the ice, wins faceoffs, smart hockey. I’m excited that he wanted to stay here. I think for us it’s a good sign. Someone that bet on himself. Chose us and wants to stay here. It’s very exciting.” Dvorak had a feeling the Flyers would be much improved. That’s another reason why he bought a plane ticket to Philly. “It’s been a lot of fun and it’s a good fit for me,” Dvorak said. “We’ve been playing some good hockey this year. I think we’re just headed in a good direction here. And that’s really important to me.” Dvorak had played two seasons for Flyers coach Rick Tocchet in Arizona. That helped the comfort level for both. “That’s definitely a reason why I signed here last summer,” Dvorak said. “I was comfortable with playing with him from before. I think it’s gone well so far this year. He’s given me a good opportunity and I’ve tried to make the most of it.” Dvorak said the length of the contract was important to him. It will take him to age 34. “It was important,” Dvorak agreed. “I think it (the negotiations) were a pretty smooth process overall. It (the length) was one of the things I was working for. I’m just very excited and happy it got done.” The center said he hasn’t been surprised by how well it’s gone. He entered Tuesday night with nine goals and 25 points; he had 33 points in 82 games with Montreal last season and has a career-high of 38 in 70 games in 2019-20. The fit with fellow new arrival Trevor Zegras has been superb. He’s also helped keep the Flyers’ penalty kill at a high level. “I don’t know if I would say surprised,” he said when asked if he was caught offguard by the Flyers’ success. “You believe, you trust that things are going to work out. That’s why I made the decision to come here. I thought it would be a good fit for me. I couldn’t have asked for more.” Tocchet expressed satisfaction that Dvorak isn’t going anywhere when the season is over. He’s one of the guys the coach relies in all situations. “Centermen are tough to find,” Tocchet said. “He’s come in here and he’s done a really nice job. He’s well liked in the locker room, he’s a culture guy. Came into camp in shape, does the right things. You’re keeping character and quality in the room. It’s good for us.” The signing might have been a signal to the rest of the team that the Flyers won’t be traders at the trade deadline. They’re thinking positively, they’re thinking of adding and making the playoffs. “We talk about building blocks, that’s the way I look at it,” Tocchet said. “You have a quality player in that room for the next five years. He’s played really well for us. Who knows what happens in the future but it’s another strong asset in your room.” Some might wonder why the Flyers might throw 25 million at a soon-to-be 30-year-old. Tocchet, who played well into his late 30s, had a quick answer. “Thirty is still young, don’t get me wrong,” Tocchet said. “You train a little different. ‘Devo’ has a really good hockey IQ. When you have a really good hockey IQ, you can play late into your 30s. He’s a good faceoff guy. Things like that you can still be really good at when you get older.” • • • Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar and center Rodrigo Abols were officially added to their countries’ Olympic rosters Tuesday. Vladar will be join Team Czechia. He entered Tuesday night’s game vs. Anaheim with a 15-8-3 mark, a 2.39 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. Abols was named to Latvia’s team. He has played in 35 games for the Flyers with two goals and eight points. ...read more read less