Matvei Michkov’s future teammates say his talent is ‘definitely not falsely advertised’

Alex Čiernik remembers facing Matvei Michkov in the 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

The game was special for the Slovakian forward as his country made the gold-medal game for the first time. But what happened in the game dulled some of the shine. The Flyers prospect and his teammates were no match for the Russian star as Michkov collected a goal and an two assist in a 7-2 win.

The Hlinka Gretzky Cup showcases some of the top U-18 players in the world every summer. Michkov finished as the top scorer in 2021 with 13 points (eight goals, five assists) in five games, and a hearty plus-minus of plus-5. He broke the record for most points in a tournament, held by Canadian Cole Perfetti, by one point. And he was 16 years old when he did it.

“He’s definitely not falsely advertised,” Čiernik told The Inquirer at Flyers Community Day in Voorhees.

Once adversaries, the two 19-year-olds now are on the same team and part of the Flyers’ future after each was selected in the 2023 NHL draft; Michkov was taken seventh overall, and Čiernik was nabbed in the fourth round. The duo will get a chance to build a bond before Čiernik heads to Sweden to play for the Nybro Vikings IF in HockeyAllsvenskan.

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“The hockey world has known about him from a really young age, and I’ve played against him a couple of times,” Čiernik said. “Just the way he’s able to score, I don’t think we’ve seen that from anyone in a long time. It’s definitely exciting to see him in the same locker room now.”

Michkov was on the ice Wednesday morning at the Flyers Training Center and then participated in an introductory news conference. Through a translator, he said several times that his focus is not only on making the playoffs, but winning Stanley Cups — multiple — in orange and black.

“It’s awesome. It’s all great things,” 2022 sixth-rounder Hunter McDonald told The Inquirer when asked about being part of the Flyers’ future alongside Michkov. “It was cool to see his interview today, too, and he just wants to be able to win, and I think that’s what we all want to do; that’s the end goal for all of us playing hockey, really. So I think it’ll be great.”

McDonald, one of the Flyers’ top prospects on the blue line, said hearing Michkov talk about Stanley Cups lights a fire and “gets everyone excited.” For Čiernik, hearing the confident Russian forward speak about winning wasn’t a surprise.

“Everyone knew what he came here for and he’s got a lot of expectations,” Čiernik said. “But from just meeting him and seeing how cool he is about everything, it’s good to see from a guy like that. I’m sure he’ll help the Flyers win many games and is definitely good for the team.”

Expectations are high for Michkov, one of the most gifted offensive players the Flyers have had in quite some time. Čiernik said his “offensive ability is off the charts,” and there’s not much one can do to stop the left-shot right winger.

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“I just played against him a couple of times, but just his offensive ability and the way he scores — especially his scoring ability — is crazy,” he said. “The different ways he scores, some of the angles, some of the goals he scored, you just look at your phone and are just kind of speechless. Just, overall, his offensive ability is great.”

Michkov loves to drive down the middle of the ice. He may be listed at 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds, but he plays a bigger game. Known for his skating and high-end vision, shot, and quickness, he has the potential to be a generational talent. McDonald also has seen some clips of Michkov scoring and seemed in awe of what he witnessed, noting that Michkov looks like a “pretty special” player.

“He works hard, great player,” McDonald added. ”He’s going to be great for the Flyers and the city.”