Awesome article, Alex! Super glad to see you on PHLY. You and Charlie are insane writers. I’d argue two of the best in the business.

This article has me watching Michkov highlights (again). Hope to see more articles on here from you!

Great article. Love this type of article for the Diehards. I’ll read as much Michkov content as you can produce.

Great article, Alex! Hope to see more by you. We can’t wait for Michkov to be on Flyers’ home ice!

Genie

This is great:
———But as often happens when it comes to sports and athletes from Russia, the language barrier, the distance and the time zones help to create an aura. They de-personify the person. They create either the “cold, mechanical, robotic Russian” or the “mystical magician.”

Matvei Michkov is not hockey’s Ivan Drago. He is not hockey’s Grigori Rasputin. But who is he?

Two of Michkov’s teammates — Sochi club captain Gleb Koryagin and Michkov’s linemate Artur Tyanulin — can help answer that question.

“He is an honest man,” Tyanulin said. “A normal guy. (But) in the nine months I have known him, he has changed a lot. The big tragedy with his dad… he has come back more mature. Now he is the head of the family. I feel like he has grown up as a person. Last year when I first saw him, I saw a kid in his eyes. Now when he came back to Sochi? I see a man in his eyes.”

Koryagin also endorsed Michkov’s off-ice character.

“(He’s a) very good guy, who can help you in any situation,” Koryagin said.
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And I hope it serves to put to rest Tortorella’s jingoistic “Mad Russian” bullshit.