Inside John Tortorella’s Untold Tale: The Golden Matvei Michkov That Shook the Flyers
You know, watching the Philadelphia Flyers stumble out of the gate this season under Rick Tocchet has me reminiscing about some of the more intriguing chapters from their recent past — particularly involving none other than John Tortorella and rising star Matvei Michkov. Now, Tortorella, the grizzled former coach turned ESPN analyst, isn’t shy about peeling back the curtain on his coaching days. During a recent broadcast, he shared a gem of a story about Michkov’s unique approach when snagged in the penalty box — a subtle chess move that many might overlook, but one that reveals layers about the kid’s hockey IQ. It’s fascinating stuff, especially considering how Michkov’s role and ice time have shifted since Tortorella’s departure, and it’s hard not to wonder how much of that crafty mindset might still influence the Flyers’ fortunes. The dynamics between coach and player, strategy and execution, all wrapped up in a narrative that’s as entertaining as it is insightful.
Given how things have started this season under Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia Flyers fans can certainly appreciate one of ex-coach John Tortorella’s fondest memories of star forward Matvei Michkov.
Tortorella, 67, now works as an NHL analyst for ESPN, giving him a larger platform to openly share stories and experiences from his decorated coaching career.
The former Flyers coach, who coached Michkov in his rookie season last year, was covering a game between the San Jose Sharks and Utah Mammoth live in-studio when a too many men penalty, served by Will Smith at the end of the second period, prompted Tortorella to tell a great story about the Russian phenom.
“Michkov, with me in Philly, every time we had to put someone in the box for something like that, a delay or whatever it may be, he’d be burning a hole through me,” Tortorella said of Michkov. “He wants to go in the penalty box hoping to get a breakaway when the power play’s over or whatever it may be.
“Coaches think about that, too. You’d be surprised. There’s a little bit of strategy involved in that. It’s interesting.”
The Sharks finished the period down 3-2 and ultimately lost 6-3 with Smith failing to score out of the box, but Tortorella’s assessment is spot on, especially when the player serving the penalty won’t be utilized on the penalty kill at all.
It’s something Tortorella did with Joel Farabee and the Flyers a good amount in 2023-24, and continued with Michkov in 2024-25 before being relieved of his duties at the end of March.
Michkov, 20, could certainly use a goal like that at some point, too. In five games under Tocchet, his average ice time is sitting at 14:50, down nearly two minutes from his rookie season 16:41, most of which came under Tortorella.
Further compounding the issue is the fact that Michkov has just one goal – his only point – in those five games, and just seven shots on goal.
The gruff Tortorella often took a lot of heat for his treatment of Michkov and other players, which was often conflated with how the coach conducted himself, but this latest story shows that the 67-year-old maybe knew exactly what he was doing all along.
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