The 2024 Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp got off to a memorable start on Thursday, starting with the mass of excited fans gathering in a line outside the Flyers Training Center eagerly waiting to see Matvei Michkov, Jett Luchanko, and a host of other prospects.
Predictably, it was Michkov and Luchanko who stole the show, for fans and coaches alike.
By now, most fans tuned into the world of hockey prospects know Michkov as the all-encompassing offensive winger and Luchanko as the speed-demon center with an eye for playmaking and great instincts. On paper, the two top Flyers prospects complement each other extremely well on the ice.
Lehigh Valley Phantoms head coach Ian Laperriere put Michkov and Luchanko together for most of the forward drills on Thursday, though, admittedly, it wasn’t entirely his doing.
That decision turned out to work just fine.
“Yeah, well, we all have bosses, so they told me,” Laperriere joked in his post-practice press conference. “I won’t take the blame or the credit for that. That’s another guy, Jett. He’s impressive. He’s got the right name, because he flies out there. I’m excited to see him, too. He’s years away from turning pro, but he’s one of the kids you hear about, especially down there in Allentown.”
Many of the forward drills were odd-man rushes, mostly consisting of 3-on-2s, 2-on-1s, and the like. Mixed in were some rushes that turned into tip drills, where a defenseman would jump in to take a long range shot. Others included cycling drills and board battles.
Michkov and Luchanko both wasted no time taking the fight to their opponents… er, teammates.
There was one occasion where Michkov bowled over the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Hunter McDonald whilst crashing the net. For the entire rest of the afternoon, McDonald was doing that to other people, but Michkov got the best of him there.
“I know it’s one practice, but I’m impressed,” said Laperriere.
Another time, the 19-year-old Russian and draft classmate Matteo Mann got into a shoving match near the net, as both prospects exchanged a crosscheck before skating away and switching out with other prospects.
Even in a trivial rookie practice, Michkov wants to win and dominate those who oppose him.
“I don’t think I played with young, special players like that, but I’m sure when you have a guy like that, Michkov, and even McDonald, in camp for those veterans, it just shows where the organization is going and how exciting it is,” Laperriere added. “It brings the intensity up, the skill level and the intensity up. We have to worry about rookie camp right now, but next week, when main camp starts and that kid jumps on the ice, those guys are gonna crank it up another level.”
It is worth noting that the forward groups rotated for much of the practice, so it’s unclear exactly what line combinations will look like for the two Rookie Series games against the New York Rangers. QMJHL standout Alexis Gendron had the first practice rep with Michkov and Luchanko, so he’s one to keep an eye on this weekend, too.
