PHILADELPHIA (AP) — His surname flashed on ice in bold -- MICHKOV -- as Philadelphia Flyers’ fans roared and flames burst upward as part of the pregame pageantry the moment Matvei Michkov was introduced at the home opener.
Considered the most no-doubt-about-it Flyers’ prospect since Eric Lindros and perhaps the most sensational rookie out of Russia since Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in 2005, Michkov was set to give Flyers fans a glimpse of what all the buzz was about since he was drafted in 2023.
Lindros. Ovechkin. Malkin. Those are big skates to fill — and a fast first week of production only heightened the hype to the opener.
The 19-year-old Michkov scored his first two NHL goals in just his third career game against Edmonton and had four total points in a 1-2-1 season-opening road trip.
Michkov Mania is officially a Philly thing.
“I’m calling it now,” Flyers fan Patrick Langton said in the parking lot, “he’s going to score a goal.”
Not quite. Michkov went scoreless and so did the rest of the Flyers, losing 3-0 Saturday night to the Vancouver Canucks.
The Philly pregame party scene seemed like a Michkov fashion show from the moment fans pulled into Wells Fargo Center parking lots. Most Flyers fans that grilled burgers and hot dogs wore No. 39 jerseys in honor of their new favorite player.
For the fans that didn’t quite have one yet by the opening faceoff?
No worries.
Flyers fans snaked around merchandise stores and spilled into the concourse throughout the arena ahead of Saturday night's game against Vancouver clutching $199.99 Michkov jerseys -- that’s a lot of rubles -- to pull on the moment they hit the concourse.
“He’s the future.” Flyers fan Nick Griffoni said. “He’s going to bring us a chip.”
Griffoni, of Merchantville, New Jersey, stood in line with his No. 39 jersey — right behind two other fans about to purchase Michkov jerseys.
“I’ve seen him play,” Griffoni said. “If you have YouTube, you’ve seen him play.”
Flyers coach John Tortorella cautioned during training camp the team would not morph into the “Mischa Show” and he planned to temper expectations for the 5-10, 176-pound right wing.
Tortorella made it clear after the loss the Flyers need offense from more than just Michkov.
“We were a little sloppy, a little disjointed," Tortorella said. “We hit some posts, some almost plays. We played better as the game went on."
The Flyers were flat for a home opener — perhaps fatigued from a road trip that included three stops in Canada and one in Seattle — not exactly how they wanted to build off last season's excitement that had them in the playoff race until the end.
Langton, of Atco, New Jersey, was a season-ticket holder until he was turned off by overpriced tickets for a failing franchise. These days, Langton pretty much only forks over cash for "the big games.”
Like Michkov’s home debut.
He wore a Michkov jersey and was part of a group of 10 fans enjoying a tailgate full of anticipation to get a glimpse of the Russian rookie.
“I really do think he’s the future of the organization,” Langton said. “He’s got the skillset that we’ve been yearning for for a while. He can put the puck in the net.”
The franchise will mark 50 years this season since they last won a Stanley Cup championship. Philadelphia lost in the Stanley Cup finals in 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997 and 2010. Most of the last 15 years have been a loss — both in wasted seasons and in a generation of Flyers fans who don’t really know how understand just how much the orange-and-black meant to the city.
Attendance has waned through the last decade as coaches were cycled through and the Wells Fargo Center mostly sat empty each postseason.
The Flyers preached patience when they selected Michkov with the seventh pick in the 2023 draft, knowing he had three years left on his KHL contract. They instead only had to wait a year and now Michkov just might expedite the Flyers’ rebuild.
Flyers general manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones have orchestrated a rebuild that had the Flyers -- who haven’t made the playoff since 2020 -- on the cusp of postseason play last season.
With Michkov in the mix, expectations have soared -- oh, and the arena was packed Saturday night.
“During their high points, it was can’t-miss TV,” Langton said. “They lost a little bit of their attitude. I feel like with Jonesy and Briere, the culture is coming back.”
Hey, maybe Michkov — whose locker is under a picture of Lindros as part of a circle of photos celebrating the team's Hall of Famers — can bring some culture to the Flyers’ fanbase.
“I would like to ask him how to say, ‘Go birds,’ in Russian,” Langton said.
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