In Photos: Oilers' Vasily Podkolzin enjoys Canadian Thanksgiving dinner with Matvei Michkov, family and other Flyers stars

On Monday, Philadelphia Flyers rookie forward Matvei Michkov joined Edmonton Oilers forward Vasily Podkolzin for a warm Canadian Thanksgiving celebration. Podkolzin shared pictures from the celebration on his Instagram Story.

Podkolzin and his wife, Sasha Kotyatkina, hosted the gathering, attended by several other Russian hockey players.

One photo shows Vasily holding his daughter, Alisa, while standing with his friends. On his right is Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula while on his left are Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov and rookie forward Matvei Michkov. The group is gathered around a table set for Thanksgiving dinner, which Vasily and Sasha prepared.

The Thanksgiving dinner. (Pic Credit: IG @podkol_)

Another picture shows Alisa trying to reach for something on the beautifully arranged table. The meal included traditional Thanksgiving dishes, such as a roasted turkey and various sides.

Alisa can be seen here (Pic Credit: IG @sashapodkolzina_)

Vasily and Sasha married in June 2021 in St. Petersburg, Russia, and welcomed their daughter Alisa on July 11, 2023, in Vancouver, Canada.

This is not rare in the NHL, as several other players from different teams also prefer to host Thanksgiving dinner. Habs captain Nick Suzuki and his fiancee Caitlin have also hosted Montreal Canadiens players.

---

Flyers GM Danny Briere praised Matvei Michkov

Matvei Michkov is generating a lot of excitement for the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2024-25 NHL season. Released early by his KHL team, SKA Saint Petersburg, Michkov impressed during the preseason. He scored three goals and had four assists in four games, including an overtime winner against the Boston Bruins.

Flyers manager Danny Briere praised Michkov’s competitive spirit and ability to win puck battles.

"Exceeded my expectation, to be honest," Briere said per CBS.

"His competitiveness around the net, in the crease. It's something that makes him special. It's not easy to go there. To have the guts to do it every single shift, ... I was really impressed by that," Briere added.

Michkov’s arrival brings hope for improving the Flyers' struggling power play, which was the worst in the NHL last season. He has been a power-play specialist throughout his career. Michkov's performance this season could help the Flyers compete for a playoff spot.