Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov is sharing what he really thought of now-ex head coach John Tortorella, who was fired late in the year.
The Philadelphia Flyers decided to fire head coach John Tortorella late in the year despite having already been eliminated from playoff contention.
Assistant coach Brad Shaw took over on an interim basis for the rest of the year, going 5-3-1.
One player who particularly benefited immediately from the change was rookie Matvei Michkov, who scored twice in his 1st game under Shaw rather than Tortorella.
But rather than blast Tortorella during his season-ending media availability, Michkov instead turned heads with what he had to say.
John teached me a lot. I think he was one of my best coaches.
Michikov and Tortorella butted heads often in what would be their only year together, with a notable example being when they had a heated exchange on the bench that was caught by cameras.
Earlier in the year, Michkov said that he appreciated Tortorella's blunt honesty and experience.
He's the coach, so he knows best. Of course, he explained everything and gave me advice on how to play and what not to do. Tortorella is very experienced, and there's a lot I can learn from him. I try to listen to everything he says and follow all his instructions....For me, the most important quality in a person is honesty, and John Tortorella is a very honest person with everyone. If something is on his mind, he says it. People like that are highly valued in my encirclement.
Michkov finished his rookie year with 63 points (26G, 37A).
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