The very first sign of the NHL season starting took place on Wednesday, as rookies from across the league gathered in Arlington, Virginia to get some photos taken, participate in video shoots, and just generally hang out.
Among those rookies is Philadelphia Flyers phenom Matvei Michkov. And while we got to already see some photos of him wearing Flyers gear during a summer practice with Egor Zamula, and of course donning as much team-branded stuff during his initial press conference, this is the first look of him truly doing some hockey stuff.
Standing around is neat, but let’s see him with a stick and a puck while in a full Flyers uniform. It is just so beautiful.
That 18 seconds of footage to be eventually used at some point for EA Sports, might not be much. If it was anyone else, we would just scroll right past it. But this is Michkov. This is the player that the Flyers are getting two years earlier than expected and could completely turn this organization around if everything hits like it is projected to.
Just seeming out there and doing actual hockey stuff, and not posing with a jersey or anything like that, gets us more excited for the upcoming season than anything that the Flyers has put out on social media, or anyone has talked about at length through the summer. Those 18 seconds, man.
Joining Michkov at the 2024 NHLPA Rookie Showcase is quasi-rookie Ivan Fedotov. The 27-year-old netminder might only be there because they need a second goaltender for the photo, and he is technically a rookie despite being uneligible for the Calder Trophy — but, he is there and the Flyers get to have two representatives at this whole thing.
This was truly the first sign of what should be a very interesting and transitional Flyers season. Next, we’ll have rookie camp opening up on Sept. 12 and the Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers on Sept. 13 and 14. And then just shortly after, Flyers training camp will open the actual NHL training camp on Sept. 19 and play their first preseason game on Sept. 22, against the Washington Capitals.
Just think, in a few weeks we will have more than 18 seconds of Michkov skating around like this.
