Flyers’ Matvei Michkov reveals hilarious goodbye text he sent to ex-HC John Tortorella after firing

Matvei Michkov got the full experience of being a rookie in the NHL. The Flyers' star winger went through ups and downs similar to any first-year player, but many of those came while John Tortorella was behind the bench.

Michkov displayed his immense talent right from the start, producing 10 points in his first 13 games, though his mistakes on the defensive side didn't sit well with Tortorella. The veteran head coach scratched the rookie sensation after his hot start to the year and benched him for lengthy periods throughout the season following any errors or missed assignments.

To his credit, Michkov never complained and continued to put in the work. It's no easy task for anyone to play for a coach like John Tortorella, not to mention a rookie who is still trying to learn and understand the English language.

In a recent video, Michkov spoke about the message he sent Tortorella in the aftermath of his firing and followed it up with a funny comment about not getting to score a lacrosse goal for him. Uggg shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter).

"I'm like, man, sorry you got fired. I never scored a lacrosse goal in front of you." Michkov said. "He laughed; he's like, It's all ahead. It'll happen."

Matvei Michkov just completed the first season of his three-year, $2,850,000 entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Matvei Michkov had a great rookie season

It took no time for Matvei Michkov to demonstrate his elite skillset as a rookie.

The 20-year-old racked up 63 points (26 goals, 37 assists) in 80 games on the campaign. Those numbers place him among the top 10 in rookie point scoring in Philadelphia Flyers history (8th overall). He lived up to the billing of the seventh overall pick from the 2023 draft and has Flyer fans very excited for the future.

Michkov is undoubtedly in the running to be selected as a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is the favorite to win the award, while Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, and Michkov all make compelling cases to round out the top three.

The NHL announced on Friday morning that the finalists for the 2025 Calder Trophy will be revealed on Monday, May 5, while the actual awards show will occur sometime in June.