To be clear, from Day 1 of training camp Tortorella has left little doubt he thinks the world of Michkov. The winger’s work ethic, competitiveness and internal fire have endeared him to the Flyers’ often tough-to-please coach. Yes, there’s a nearly half-century age gap between the two, but there seems to be a real affection there.

This is the message that was sent by the Flyers head coach to the young rookie:

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After a rocky start against the St. Louis Blues, Philadelphia Flyers’ superstar rookie Matvei Michkov found himself benched by head coach John Tortorella as part of a learning experience.

Michkov was the Flyers' seventh overall pick in the 2023 Draft and has already shown he's the real deal. Out of all the rookies in the league, he leads in power-play goals with th