Three weeks after Matvei Michkov signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Russian forward flew over to the United States where he was greeted by Keith Jones, the Flyers’ president of hockey operations, and Daniel Briere, the team’s general manager, at the airport. Michkov, wearing a Philadelphia Phillies hat, got the star treatment from Flyers’ social media as every part of his arrival was documented.
“It was a very long flight,” Michkov said via a translation by Flyers consultant Slava Kuznetsov. “Big travel day.”
Michkov took the ice briefly at the Flyers Training Center on Wednesday before meeting with the press alongside Briere.
Michkov’s arrival to the Flyers comes two years earlier than the team expected. Michkov negotiated an exit from his contract with SKA St. Petersburg on June 25 — a deal that was supposed to keep him in the KHL through the 2025-26 season.
“We started hearing rumblings after the season that there was a possibility of it happening,” Briere said. “We talked to his representatives, his agent, and to help us understand what’s going on. They did most of the work. It was definitely exciting when we realized there’s a strong possibility that it could happen.”
“I had a dream to play in NHL,” Michkov said. “This club SKA make it possible and released me. Now I’m here.
“The process was long, but I was not involved in it, it was between SKA and the Flyers,” he added. “My main thing was getting ready for coming over and playing here. I’m very happy to be here.”
Michkov was one of the top prospects in the 2023 NHL Draft, but fell to the Flyers at pick number seven due to concerns about his contract and if he’d ever come over to North America.
“When we drafted him, we had no expectation of him coming in until his contract was done,” Briere said. “It’s why he fell because he would have gone in the top two or three at the most. It’s a great break for us and the organization to have him early, to have him at 19.
“The chance for him to learn under Torts – we all know he’s gifted offensively, very very talented — but he’s going to have a chance to learn under Torts, to play the other side of the ice as well. That gets me excited. He’s going to get that base early on. I think it’s just going to make him better for the rest of his career.”
Michkov had an opportunity to tour the Flyers practice facility and see his new locker room stall.
He will also wear number 39 with the Flyers.
Michkov’s arrival has excited a Flyers fan base that has suffered through four consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. This past year was particularly heartbreaking as the Washington Capitals defeated the Flyers in the final game of the 2023-24 season to squeak into the postseason themselves.
“The first plan is for the team to make the playoffs,” Michkov said. “Help the team win night after night so the fans can be coming and enjoying the games more and more.
“I want to help the team win the Stanley Cup and all Cups possible.”
While the Flyers want to see Michkov fully develop, they do not want him to be seen as a savior of the franchise.
“That’s certainly not what we’re putting on his shoulders,” Briere said. “He’s 19-years-old. He’s coming in to learn, to expand his game. Obviously we hope the sky’s the limit for him, but we’re certainly not expecting him to the savior of this team. We’re building a team that’s going to have many pieces to work together and we’re hoping he becomes one of them.”
