The one moment we have all been waiting for has finally arrived. No, it is not an actual Philadelphia Flyers game with their top prospect in the lineup, or anything that means a whole lot. But, it is Matvei Michkov himself, donned in orange and black, on the ice.
Thanks to defenseman Egor Zamula, on Wednesday afternoon we got to see Michkov take the ice while in Flyers practice gear and having a nice little summer training session. It isn’t much, but it certainly feels good to see Michkov wearing the logo over here.
That is something, isn’t it?
Michkov, Zamula, and Flyers skating coach and pseudo translator Slava Kuznetsov all on the ice together in Voorhees at the Flyers Training Center. Nothing else was mentioned about this private practice session in the middle of August, but what we know about Michkov so far, is that he never stops thinking about or wanting to play hockey.
According to some reporters, Michkov was on the ice the same day he had his introductory press conference last month, and one of the very first things he mentioned while arriving in North America is when he can get on the ice. He is always fiending for that next time, and that drive might just be what makes him a star in the NHL.
But before we get ahead of ourselves, we have to get to the firsts of Michkov’s time over here. Right now, we’re witnessing the first time there is photo evidence of the 19-year-old wearing a Flyers jersey on the ice with one of his new teammates. Maybe next, we’ll get to his first time being caught in a video while on the ice, or scoring a goal in practice, or doing literally anything while wearing the Orange and Black.
We have waited just a year for this to happen and we’re getting all of these firsts two years early, but it doesn’t take away the magic of it all. It feels a little unreal to have him over here, and for the next month, it will take some time to get used to.
The Flyers will open training camp on September 18 and their first preseason game will happen on September 22, against the Washington Capitals. Mark those calendars already.
