"New Era of Orange" truly begins with Matvei Michkov and his arrival

When Dan Hilferty, Daniel Briere, Keith Jones and John Tortorella walked up to the temporary stage at the center of the Wells Fargo Center floor on May 12, 2023 to introduce the new Philadelphia Flyers leadership group, Matvei Michkov wasn’t even a glint in their eyes.

The goal on that day was to sell a new vision. A new plan. A “new era,” as Hilferty dubbed it.

“We are on the cusp of a New Era of Orange,” he proclaimed.

Today, in picture form, Briere and Jones ensured the “cusp” qualifier in Hilferty’s original statement can be removed.

Matvei Michkov is here. Yes, news of his imminent arrival broke way back in late June, and his entry-level contract was signed over three weeks ago. But despite the reports and promises, he wasn’t yet here. The most cynical Flyers fans, having lived through dozens of times when the rug was pulled out from under them just when it appeared a great reward was a guarantee, weren’t going to fully believe that the 2023 seventh overall pick — selected over a month after that initial May presser — was truly coming to Philadelphia until they saw him with their own two eyes.

On July 23, 2024, that happened. He’s here.

And now, something new can truly begin.

For Michkov, the positives of an early arrival are numerous. He’s coming from a faraway country, with only a limited knowledge of the English language. He’s barely spent any time in North America, and hasn’t been to the continent since last June, when he famously stopped by the Flyers’ practice facility in Voorhees for a private meeting with team brass and an impromptu air hockey game in the lobby.

With rookie camp not slated to start until mid-September — and Tortorella’s “early arrival” requirement not kicking in until the start of that month — Michkov will have time to acclimate to his new world: to settle in, to find comfortable living arrangements, to meet his new teammates (and possibly hang out at Joel Farabee’s central hub house), to work out at the Voorhees facilities, to meet the trainers, to meet his coaches.

Michkov could have come in late August, spending as much time as possible at home before such a major life change, and no one would have begrudged him that. It’s easy to forget that, as talented of a hockey player as Michkov is, he’s still a 19-year old teenager uprooting his life to ply his chosen trade in a foreign land.

But Michkov instead chose to come over early, showcasing his commitment to making this work — both with the Flyers and Philadelphia fans. His sporting of a Phillies hat in today’s photos certainly speaks to the latter goal, whether it was his idea or not. And as for the former, it’s no secret that Michkov in the past has rubbed some teammates the wrong way with his competitiveness — getting here early gives him the opportunity to get to know his new ones in a relaxed environment before things get intense.

If Michkov ultimately doesn’t prove to have the goods as a hockey player and his style doesn’t fully translate to the NHL level, that would be one thing. It’s another if he plays like a star on the ice but can’t make it work off the ice, due to clashes with teammates and Flyers staff. The early arrival hints that he is intent on avoiding that pitfall if at all possible.

That’s great news. Because make no mistake — Matvei Michkov is the New Era of Orange now.

That’s not to say that other people aren’t also integral to the Flyers’ future success. Tortorella remains the designated culture builder. Briere will be tasked with constructing a contending roster. Hilferty and Jones will have to continue to drive fan outreach and convince still-skeptical members of the fanbase that the Flyers actually care about them again. All are essential roles.

But for this plan to work, for this rebuild to have true, Stanley Cup-winning upside, the team needs an on-ice centerpiece.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be Michkov. Maybe Jett Luchanko explodes in his Draft+1 season and turns into Brayden Point 2.0. Maybe Oliver Bonk develops into the next Alex Pietrangelo. Maybe the Flyers get extremely lucky at the draft lottery next year and nab James Hagens. The future will always be hazy and undivinable to a degree.

But right now, Michkov is the player with the best chance to check that required box. The Flyers know it — in fact, they’ve known it for over a year now.

“Sometimes in my mind, you start moving away a couple years from now, when the Mad Russian comes over here, and you start bringing in maybe some free agents when the time’s right, with some more offensive skill, I want that to fall into place when they come in,” Tortorella said last November. “I want to stay with this (more rush-based) style.”

And now, the Mad Russian, the player who they overhauled their entire playing style (potentially years in advance) to help accommodate, is here.

Fan interest is spiking. Expect rookie camp and training camp in Voorhees to be wall-to-wall packed, filled with Flyers faithful young and old trying to get a glimpse of the Great Russian Hope. Flyers ticket representatives have been using Matvei Michkov as their prime season ticket package pitch for over a month now, and for good reason.

Casual local hockey fans, at least to start the season, are also going to be giving the Flyers a new look. Sure, the team was better last year, and it went long way towards getting many disenchanted diehards back on board. But the Wells Fargo Center won’t truly begin rocking again until the people who rank hockey in general and the Flyers specifically as their third or fourth favorite on their 4-for-4 men’s pro sports list care again.

A scrappy, overachieving club with a plucky first round exit-ceiling doesn’t excite them. A young, up-and-coming team with a 19-year old potential superstar will.

Which goes back to one of Hilferty’s favorite truisms: the past is prologue. He’s uttered it multiple times since taking over as chairman of Comcast Spectacor, meaning it as a nod to the Flyers’ rich history and a promise that the old guard would be cherished and honored, even as the organization looked to forge a new path.

But today, it speaks to the fact that 2023-24 was prologue as well — prologue to that “New Era of Orange” that the organization relentlessly pumped as their slogan starting in May of 2023. In retrospect, that was all stage-setting.

Now, with the arrival of Matvei Michkov on United States soil, a new era truly begins.