Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Well, that didn’t take long.
On the night that the Philadelphia Flyers traded away forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, a new tenant for coach John Tortorella’s doghouse has already emerged.
Matvei Michkov, welcome to your new home.
The 19-year-old, who is currently ranked third in NHL rookie scoring with 14 goals and 34 points in 51 games, has been one of the Flyers’ most productive players this season. But that didn’t stop the Flyers coach from limiting Michkov to just 8:30 in ice time in a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday — his last shift came midway through the second period — and then getting into a yelling match with him while on the bench.
This happened after Cutter Gauthier, who was selected fifth overall in 2022, refused to sign with the team. And as Frost and Farabee, two highly touted first-round picks who never achieved their potential in Philadelphia and were sometimes healthy scratches, ultimately needed a change of scenery.
If the Flyers are not careful, the same fate could befall Michkov, as well as Andrei Kuzmenko, who was acquired from the Flames on Thursday.
I’m old school when it comes to hockey so this will confuse you. I’m over Tortorella. . His ego gets the best of him . Hes not that great of a coach to ignore all the BS. If there’s any slither of a chance Michkov would leave because of him, I dont want to take the chance
— Dan Knightly (@DanKnightly) January 31, 2025
The familiarity between Kuzmenko and Michkov, who played together for KHL St. Petersburg, was one of the reasons why the two were reunited. Based on the underwhelming season that Kuzmenko was having in Calgary with four goals and 14 points in 37 games, the two could have plenty of time to get re-acquainted while sitting at the end of the bench.
This isn’t anything new with Tortorella, whose abrasive coaching style is partly why everyone from Pierre-Luc Dubois and Patrik Laine failed to develop while playing for him. And yet, that hasn’t stopped Tortorella from making an example of his best players. Nor has it stopped teams from employing him.
According to Tortorella, the tough-love approach will benefit Michkov, who has gone five games without a point and was blamed for leaving the defensive zone early on a goal against the Islanders on Thursday. But it also has the risk of alienating him the same way that it did for Frost and Farabee and so many others over the years.
Matvei Michkov played a season-low 8:30 tonight, with his last shift coming with 9:58 remaining in the second period, when he missed the coverage on Simon Holmstrom that led to his goal. Here’s John Tortorella’s full response to the 3 questions that were asked about it. pic.twitter.com/GLDeuCaEmc
— Adam Kimelman (@NHLAdamK) January 31, 2025
“We’re trying to teach him how things are done — how things are done here,” Tortorella told reporters. “The things of understanding conduct of a pro, all the things you do to play. I’m not going to get involved in the situation, something on the bench tonight. I’m not going to give you specifics.
“You may not believe it, but it’s for the right reason, because we care about him. I care about him and where he is in the process, how far along he is in the process. And I’m not going to fail him by cowering away from situations that people may second guess or whatever it may be. We’re going to do it the right way with this kid, because we think he’s that special. So it’s my job to do that. No matter what happens.”
What could happen — and it’s a very real scenario — is that Michkov gets tired of Tortorella’s tactics the same way that so many others have in the past. This isn’t the 1990s when ‘Iron’ Mike Kennan ruled the bench with an iron fist.
Players don’t respond to being yelled at or constantly benched the same way they used to in the past. The days of the authoritarian coach are long gone. Just ask Mike Babcock. Today’s best coaches are the best at communicating their message. Call them soft or player-friendly, but this is how most players — many of whom are paid a lot more than the coaching staff combined — want to be coached.
Unless Tortorella, who coached in his 1,600th game on Thursday, realizes this, the Flyers could continue to lose their top young talent.
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