The Flyers’ season restarts Wednesday in Washington, and Matvei Michkov is ready to go.
“I was training every day. Was not resting,” the winger said through team translator Slava Kuznetsov about how he spent his Olympic break.
Michkov said he did two-a-days off the ice for seven days during the break. One session focused on strength and another on conditioning and stamina while he stayed off the ice. He also posted pictures and videos on Instagram on Feb. 16, showing him working out on vacation in the Dominican Republic, and said he had a trainer with him.
“Last year, the 4 Nations [Face-Off] was not too long a break, so I was just resting,” he said when asked about his impressive stretch after the February 2025 tournament. “This time, I was not planning to rest. I was not happy with the way the game was going, so I was working the entire break.
“My emotions depend on how the hockey goes, so that’s why I decided to work instead of the rest.”
In mid-October, the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast reported that sources said Michkov was “out of shape,“ and coach Rick Tocchet revealed the same day that Michkov had suffered an ankle injury in the offseason that impacted his training. In November, the 21-year-old Russian attributed his slow start — one goal in his first 13 games, and now 13 across 55 — to his failure to train well over the summer.
Over the past several weeks, The Inquirer has spoken with former and current NHL players about the conditioning and strength needed to endure the grind of the 82-game season, especially one as condensed as this one.
They all agreed that while not 100% impossible, it is incredibly difficult to build strength and conditioning during the season. A large part of that is because of the lack of time to recover when players need to be ready to play a physical game at a consistent level. This season, even more so, makes it tough to have an extra day to “run myself into the ground,” as one player put it, because the next day is a game or practice.
In-season programs are built to maintain instead of build, with even maintaining still difficult to achieve. Conditioning and stamina do go up as games build because of the constant stress of the game on the body, but strength goes down for everyone. The work has to be done in the summer, and Michkov, who was “a little bit behind the eight ball” as Tocchet said earlier this season, reiterated Tuesday that he has learned from his mistakes.
“The NHL is hard work,” he said. “If you take a four-month break, it can reflect [in] your game. You have to concentrate on hockey all the time, and you cannot take even a month of [a] break. You have to be smart when you train in the break, don’t take [an] injury, but training must go.”
As for working with Tocchet, another topic that swirls around Michkov due to his current role and ice time, the sophomore forward said they have the “common relationship” between coach and player.
He said he was also unaware of the media chatter before the break, specifically around Tocchet’s comments on the PHLY podcast at the Flyers Charities Carnival regarding Michkov’s minutes and how general manager Danny Brière wanted “to address a little bit of the noise that is going around” while denying a rift between the two.
“I’ll play as much time as I’m [being] given, and I have to do my job. That’s the only thing I care about,” said Michkov, who is averaging more than two minutes fewer this season compared to last.
“The way the [coach] plays me, that’s the way he decides to play, so I’ll play. I’m a player, and I have to concentrate 100% on what I’ve been doing at that moment.”
A left-handed left wing is preferable to many coaches in the defensive zone because it typically pits a lefty against a right-shot defenseman, so they have sticks on the same side — and in the shooting lane — as the defenseman when they try to close them down.
Another aspect of Tocchet’s decision-making that has drawn criticism is his switching of the left-handed Michkov off his preferred position of right wing to the left side. Some traditionalists will tell you that Michkov should be playing on the left side anyway, especially in defensive-zone coverage, as a left-handed stick will be able to use the walls and protect the puck to get it out on the left side.
Tocchet said in January that it’s just to line up and not a big deal in the offensive zone, “but through the neutral zone, for me, the faster you can go on your forehand is the better [side]. But that doesn’t mean you can’t go to the other side.”
Asked about the adjustment, Michkov responded: “I’m always playing [on] the right, I was always happy. Now I’m playing on the left [and] it’s a new role. If the coach sees me there, I have to adapt as quick as I can. But, for me, on the right, I can create a lot more moments. Now I have to switch everything to the left and do the same thing.”
Regardless, Michkov says he is feeling 100% and “very light on the ice.” His focus is not on the noise but the last stretch of games as the Flyers try to make up ground in the Eastern Conference and gain a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
“I’m sure every single player is looking [to win] those games,” he said.
“Twenty-six games left; it’s hard work. Everybody wants to make the playoffs, and that’s our goal on the ice — for me, for coaches, and for staff as well — everybody’s thinking about the group and how to win those games and make the playoffs.”
Breakaways
Rasmus Ristolainen rejoined the Flyers on Tuesday after an impressive Olympic performance in Milan. He said he roomed with Mikko Rantanen in the Athletes’ Village and is just happy he didn’t lose his bronze medal after the game. … Assistant coach Todd Reirden said Travis Sanheim was at the Flyers Training Center on Tuesday and is expected to play against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday (7 p.m., NBCSP). He took a different route home from Italy than Tocchet, who flew on the charter to Miami and was unable to make it to Philly because of the weather. Tocchet will join the team in Washington.
