NASHVILLE – On the evening his dream came true, Matvei Michkov’s thoughts drifted to his late father, Andrey.
“He’d be very proud and happy for me and all the work that we put in together. Proud of where I am right now,” Michkov said, through an interpreter, shortly after being drafted seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
“From a young age, my dad put a lot of work into my game. He taught me the different ways of disguising my shot, and a lot of the credit for my goal scoring to my late father.”
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Goal scoring is what Michkov — the greatest wildcard of Wednesday’s draft — touts as his greatest attribute, and it’s why many believe the Flyers, prioritizing skill above all, got a steal at No. 7.
Don’t expect the 18-year-old Michkov to be playing in the NHL anytime soon, as he is still under contract with the KHL’s SKA Saint Petersburg for three more seasons.
But as Philadelphia enters its long-awaited rebuild, the club can afford patience with the prospect.
“It’s a talent we cannot pass up. If we have to wait, we’ll wait,” general manager Danny Briere told ESPN. “We met him a couple times. He loved the Flyers, and you can tell he wanted to be a Flyer.”
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A grateful Michkov repeatedly mentioned his excitement with being selected by Philadelphia, who were picking one position ahead of rumoured landing spot Washington.
“This is the team I wanted to be drafted by,” Michkov said. “I want to come to Philadelphia, and I want to help them win a Stanley Cup. I know they’ve been waiting a long time for one. That’s my goal.”
So, when does Michkov believe he’ll make his way stateside?
“To be honest, I can’t say for sure. I do have a contract. But I’m hoping as soon as I can get out, I’ll come to Philadelphia,” said Michkov, who was put at ease in his meetings with Briere and the staff.
“It felt like we were talking the same language.”
Michkov spoke with multiple teams leading up to the draft, including the Montreal Canadiens (No. 5), and although his fingers were crossed for Philly, he says he never told other interested teams that he would refuse to sign. The topic never came up.
“I really want to be drafted by the Flyers. That was my goal. And I’m very proud and very happy to be part of this organization,” said Michkov, vowing to devote his KHL days to developing his all-around game.
“Everybody that knows me knows I hate losing. I’m gonna do whatever I have to. I’m gonna work as hard as I have to.”
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That work ethic was fueled by the devoted Andrey, with whom Michkov was very close.
In April, Andrey went missing. His body was found in a pond near Sochi, where Matvei had been loaned to play out the 2022-23 season. An investigation surrounding the circumstances of Andrey’s death is ongoing.
Undoubtedly, Matvei is in mourning, but the player is using his father’s memory as inspiration as he works toward joining the NHL down the road.
“My biggest gratefulness is obviously to my family, my mom, my dad, my brother. My life is where it’s at because of them,” Michkov said.
“And right now, it’s important for me to finish the goal that my dad had for me — and that’s to win the Stanley Cup.”
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