Flyers Matvei Michkov arrives, wears Phillies hat as he heads to town NBC Sports Philadelphia [Video]

The last time Matvei Michkov was at Flyers Training Center, he was playing air hockey ahead of the 2023 NHL draft, not knowing if he’d ever call Philadelphia his NHL home.

This time, he’ll be playing actual hockey.

As a Flyer.

After signing his entry-level contract a little over three weeks ago, the top prospect made his anticipated return to the United States. The team shared the following pictures and video on its X account (formerly Twitter).

After picking up Michkov at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the Flyers will hold an introductory press conference Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET in Voorhees, New Jersey. Michkov will be accompanied by general manager Danny Briere and a translator.

“When we drafted him, we never thought he’d be here this early,” Briere said to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark. “It’s a pretty exciting moment.”

As we’ve noted, Michkov’s arrival to the Flyers comes two years earlier …