{"id":83872,"date":"2025-07-22T18:34:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T18:34:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/83872\/"},"modified":"2025-07-22T18:34:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T18:34:08","slug":"matvei-michkov-describes-his-disbelief-when-he-was-first-told-to-dump-and-chase-id-hit-the-ice-and-still-do-my-own-thing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/83872\/","title":{"rendered":"Matvei Michkov describes his disbelief when he was first told to dump and chase: \u2018I\u2019d hit the ice and still do my own thing\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Matvei Michkov<\/strong> experienced a bit of a culture shock when he arrived in North America from the KHL last season.<\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Flyers\u2019 phenom rookie was forced to adapt to a new style of hockey that prioritizes dump-and-chase forecheck play, something he wasn\u2019t particularly fond of. Michkov recently described his thoughts on what he calls \u201cexhausting\u201d hockey in an on-ice interview translated by Twitter user @Uggg_uggg<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re supposed to just dump it in, cross the red line, rim it around the boards, and run to fight for it,\u201d Michkov said. \u201cFirst time I heard that, I was like, \u2018What?\u2019 But I was like, \u2018Yeah, yeah, sure,\u2019 then I\u2019d hit the ice and still kind of do my own thing. I\u2019m not a fan of dump-and-chase hockey. I\u2019d rather carry the puck in under control, make a clean pass, and enter the zone with possession. If you dump it in, now you\u2019ve gotta go battle for it.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst off, there\u2019s no guarantee you\u2019re even gonna win that puck back. Second, it\u2019s exhausting hockey. You burn so much energy battling for the puck that you\u2019ve got nothing left for the actual attack. For me, it\u2019s way better to gain the zone with control, keep the puck, and actually set up a solid scoring chance. That\u2019s how I see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Matvei Michkov broke down some of the finer points of his game and puck possession philosophy. Really insightful analysis \u2013 especially for such a young player. pic.twitter.com\/Jci6nKUa7E<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Uggg (@Uggg_uggg) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Michkov\u2019s comments are reminiscent of what Evgeny Kuznetsov told The Players\u2019 Tribune in 2015<\/a> after making the jump from the KHL to the Washington Capitals.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my team in KHL, if you dump the puck, coach might put you on bench and you never go out and play hockey again,\u201d Kuznetsov said then. \u201cMy first 10 games in NHL, I don\u2019t understand why guys keep dumping puck. I\u2019m looking at coach like, \u2018Is he going to say something?\u2019 And he\u2019s like, happy about it. Even Ovi. I see him dump it. I\u2019m looking at him like, \u2018What?!’\u201d<\/p>\n

Michkov also had to contend with his first-ever NHL head coach being the tough and stubborn John Tortorella. The two clashed several times throughout the season over how Michkov spent his time on the ice, even getting into a mid-game shouting match that led to Michkov being benched for half of a game<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tortorella was open multiple times about the perceived challenges of coaching Michkov. In a November guest spot on a TNT broadcast, the veteran bench boss explained the rationale behind healthy-scratching Michkov for two games<\/a>. He also admitted that he mainly had abandoned trying to coach the young winger, partially due to a language barrier.<\/p>\n

Despite not loving the new style he was forced to play, Michkov finished a very impressive freshman season with 63 points (26g, 37a) in 80 games, tied for second best among NHL rookies with Macklin Celebrini. He finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year behind Celebrini, goaltender Dustin Wolf, and the leading rookie scorer and winner of the award, Lane Hutson (66 points).<\/p>\n

The Flyers fired Tortorella<\/a> with just nine games remaining in the 2024-25 campaign, replacing him with Rick Tocchet in May<\/a>. Tocchet is another tough-nosed coach who will likely want Michkov to play more north-south hockey, but has said he believes play styles can be successfully mixed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreativity is great, but if you\u2019re just on the outside spinning your wheels, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s effective,\u201d Tocchet told The Athletic\u2019s Kevin Kurz in June<\/a>. \u201cYou look at Florida, they play straight-line hockey. Is there a hybrid of doing both? Absolutely. We\u2019ve just got to make sure we find that sweet spot.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Flyers added another creative offensive player this summer for Michkov to potentially play with, acquiring Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks. The club is seeking a return to playoff conversation after missing the postseason for five straight seasons.<\/p>\n

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