Matvei Michkov: 39 Things to Know

When he makes his NHL debut, highly touted prospect Matvei Michkov will become the 10th player in Flyers history to wear uniform number 39. The gifted young winger has sported the number both internationally and in club team hockey. He'll now wear it for Philadelphia.

Here are 39 things to know about Michkov.

1. Michkov received his first pair of skates from his parents when Matvei was three years old. He'd already taken an interest in local team Molot Perm in his hometown of Perm, Russia.

2. Michkov has been a hockey prodigy for years. The Perm, Russia native played his youth hockey for Molot Perm. He later debuted for Lokomotiv Yaroslav's under-16 team at age 14.

3. At the 2018 District Cup, Michkov captained the Central District Under-15 squad. He posted a staggering 30 points (20 goals, 10 assists) in a mere eight games.

4. The next season, he captained the Lokomotiv under-16 team and racked up 109 points -- 70 goals, 39 assists -- in a mere 26 games. In the U16 level of the District Cup, he had 35 points (23g, 12a) in eight games. Internationally at the under-16 level, Michkov posted 28 points (15g, 13a) as an alternate captain for the Russian national team.

5. SKA St. Petersburg -- one of the highest-profile teams in the KHL -- signed Michkov to a five-year professional contract extension on December 12, 2020.

6. Michkov played for Team Russia at the 2020-21 IIHF Under-18 Championship in the United States (Frisco and Plano, Texas). Although still two seasons shy of qualifying for the NHL Entry Draft, Michkov compiled 16 points (12g, 4a) in seven games. Russia won the silver medal.

7. Playing for SKA's top developmental team at the MHL (Russian junior league) level at age 17, Michkov had 35 goals and 50 points in 2020-21 despite playing against the top domestic junior players -- including 19-year-old (and sometimes even players who turned 20 during the season.

8. The 2021 Hlinka Gretzky Cup tournament was held from Aug. 2 to 7 in Breclav, Czechia and Piestany, Slovakia. Michkov posted 13 points (8g, 5a) in five games to lead all players in the tourney, Slovakian center Dalibor Dvorsky was second with 11 points. Russia won the tournament, defeating Slovakia in the championship game, 7-2.

9. A 16-year-old Michkov made his KHL debut on Sept. 2, 2021. In his third career game, Michkov scored his first goal. He celebrated his 18th birthday three months later.

10. In total, Michkov appeared in 13 KHL games during the 2021-22 season (2g, 3a).

11. By 2021-22, Michkov's game was already too advanced for the MHL to be a suitable challenge. However, he spent most of the season in the junior league in order to receive extensive ice time. That season, he compiled, 30 goals and 51 points in 28 games for the SKA-affiliated SKA-Varyagi St. Petersburg and SKA-1946 St. Petersburg squads. In the MHL playoffs for SKA-1946 St. Petersburg team, Michkov posted 13 goals and 17 points in 17 playoff games.

12. The 2021-22 World Junior Championships (IIHF Under-20 Worlds) were initially cancelled mid-tournament due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In two games played, Michkov tallied three goals.

13. By the time Michov turned 18 (Dec. 9, 2022) and played his NHL Draft-eligible 2022-23 season, he'd already been a highly touted name on the 2023 NHL Draft scouting radar for several years.During the 2022-23 season, Michkov played for four different teams at three levels: the MHL, VHL (Russian pro minor league) and KHL. In the KHL, he played in three games on the fourth line for SKA and 27 games (9g, 11a, 20 points) on loan to HC Sochi.

14. Matvei's 51-year-old father, Andrey, passed away near Sochi in April 2023. At the 2023 NHL Draft, Matvei said of his dad, "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. From a young age, my dad put a lot of work into my game. He taught me the different ways of disguising my shot. A lot of the credit for my goal scoring goes to my late father."

15. Shortly before attending the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Michkov visited the Flyers at the team's training facility in Voorhees. Both sides privately made clear to each other that there was mutual interest in Michkov eventually coming to Philadelphia if he were available when the Flyers made their first selection of the Draft.

16. On June 28, 2023, the Flyers selected Michkov with the seventh overall pick of the 2023 Entry Draft. There were other players the Flyers liked, too, but Michkov trailed only Connor Bedard (selected first overall by the Chicago Blackhawks) in Philadelphia's rankings.

17. If not for concerns by many NHL teams over when Michkov would become available to come to North America, Michkov would not have fallen to the 7th overall selection spot in the 2023 Draft. After the Draft, Briere said, "We know he's got a (KHL) contract for three more seasons. But we just felt, after watching him and meeting with him, it's a talent we can't pass up. If we have to wait, we'll wait."

18. SKA experimented with Michkov, a natural winger, as a center during the 2023 preseason. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound forward returned to right wing before the start of the 2023-24 regular season.

19. It was hard for Michkov to find playing opportunities for SKA at the outset of the 2023-24 season. He dressed in only one of SKA's first eight games of the regular season, receiving less than eight minutes of ice time.

20. For the second straight season, SKA loaned Michkov to fellow KHL team Sochi for the rest of the campaign. This is allowable in the KHL. While SKA is considered a perennial contender, Sochi has missed the playoffs in each of the last five seasons (and six of the last eight).

21. Michkov dealt with pneumonia during the middle of the 2023-24 season. He missed several weeks of action.

22. Despite his illness, Michkov flirted with the KHL's all-time scoring record for a rookie player (defined as a player who has not yet aged out of junior hockey eligibility). In 47 games for Sochi in 2023-24, Michkov posted a team-high 28 goals among his 41 points. He fell one point short of the KHL rookie record 42 points set by future Minnesota Wild start Kirill Kaprisov (20g, 22a) in 49 games during the 2016-17 season.

23. Due to the IIHF's ban on Russia participating in major international tournaments, Michkov has been unable to play against the world's top competition since the cancellation of the initial 2021-22 WJC tournament. However, his international junior hockey resume up to that point was stellar.

24. Michkov has rarely taken time off during the offseasons in his young career. He prefers to be on the ice nearly year-round. "I love hockey, and I enjoy games and practices," he told the KHL's official website.

25. Over the last couple years, realizing that he needed to add weight and muscle to his frame, Michkov has begun an intensive gym regimen. Previously, he'd spent nearly all of his available time solely on the ice. 

26. Michkov is very close with his family, both before and since Andrey's passing. His mother's name is Maria. He also has a brother named Prohor. When Matvei left Perm to pursue his hockey ambitions, his family came along with him.

27. Michkov is a very emotional player and does not apologize for his enthusiastic goal celebrations, whether in home games or on the road. "When you score a goal and only your team celebrates, the stands are silent. I don't like it. We play for the fans who buy the tickets. I want to see a show," Michkov told the official KHL site in 2021.

28. Michkov is not an especially fast skater in a straight line. He does not often blow past defenders and gain separation off the rush. However, he is elite on his edges and excels at finding room to fire off a shot.

29. Two other defining traits of Michkov's offensive game: He is a puckhandling wizard and he is very good at disguising his shot release. He can score goals from a variety of different angles. If stopped on an initial attempt, he's tenacious on second-effort and third-effort plays.

30. While Michkov is best known for his goal scoring prowess, he's also a well above-average passer with excellent ice vision. Linemates must have their stick on the ice and be ready to receive a pass. Michov is quite good at saucer passes, using the back of the net as a shield before a quick set up pass or fending off a defender before passing to an open teammate.

31. Michkov has long been fond of the "Michigan" (lacrosse-style) shot attempt as he swoops around the net. He's scored several goals that way but has more recently come to employ it differently than many other players because the element of surprise is largely gone. Tactically, Michkov uses the Michigan similarly to how players sometimes shoot at the goaltender's feet or pads: he's looking more for a rebound or scramble near the net.

32. Michkov obtained permission from SKA during the summer of 2024 to obtain a conditional release from the final two seasons of his KHL contract. SKA retained the player's exclusive KHL rights. However, he was granted permission to come to North America to play in the NHL starting in the 2024-25 season.

33. Michkov signed an entry-level contract with the Flyers on July 1, 2024. The two-way contract will carry a $950,000 cap hit before potential performance bonuses are figured into his earnings per CapFriendly. The deal will run through the 2026-27 season. Upon its conclusion, he can become a restricted free agent (arbitration ineligible) on July 1, 2027.

34. In a statement issued on the day of his signing with the Flyers, Michkov said, "Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood. I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet their expectations. I can't wait to join my teammates and start preparing for the new season together, and I would especially like to greet our fans. We have the same dream to win the Stanley Cup and I promise that I will do my best to help this team and make that possible."

35. According to Flyers veteran defenseman Erik Johnson, Michkov already communicates with him and other new teammates via a translation app. Michov writes in Russian for his teammate to see a translated English version, and vice versa. Michkov also follows numerous Flyers players on social media.

36. Michkov already understands very basic English, but is not yet comfortable speaking the language to utter more than a few words and phrases. He has pledged to learn to speak the language fluently. Initially, teammate Egor Zamula and Flyers skating coach Slava Kouznetsov can assist with translations as needed on the ice or in interview scrums.

37. Johnson and other North American teammates have said they do will everything possible to help Michkov feel welcomed and included as one of the guys when he arrives for training camp.

38. Matvei Michkov arrived in the United States on July 23rd, at JFK International Airport. The player is expected to meet with the media on July 24th. 

39. Prior to Michkov, the most recent Flyers player to wear No. 39 was defenseman Nate Prosser in 2020-21. Other Flyers to wear the number: defenseman Mark Alt, defenseman Dave Fenyves, forward Ross Fitzpatrick, defenseman Jeff Lank, defenseman Oliver Lauridsen, goalie Robbie Moore, center Marty Murray, and center Mike Murray.