Matvei Michkov: His Coach Regrets Being Too Hard on Him

Michaël Petit
Matvei Michkov: His Coach Regrets Being Too Hard on Him
Credit: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Matvei Michkov is certainly a polarizing player.

While he may not make headlines for spectacular play, he all too often does so for negative reasons.

His physical conditioning, his defensive shortcomings, his off-ice behavior… In short, although he's very talented, he remains a player who can be quite difficult to coach.

John Tortorella broke the ice with the Russian when he arrived in the NHL, and now it's Rick Tocchet's turn to manage him.

However, Tocchet recently admitted to The Athletic that he had been too hard on Michkov… which is quite surprising, knowing Tocchet.

As much as coaches like Tortorella and Tocchet aren't afraid to speak their minds and may come across as too intense, at the end of the day, they want what's best for their players.

Tocchet said exactly that about Michkov in an interview. Basically, he wants Michkov to feel comfortable on the ice and to be able to be creative, because that's his strength.

Above all, he regrets being too harsh last year when he commented on his fitness for the fifth time.

“I'd already said it four times. I don't think I needed to say it a fifth time. As a coach, you learn a lesson. So I'd take that comment back.” – Rick Tocchet

Indeed, by the fifth time, it was one too many. Even before that, he'd probably gotten the message, but being in shape is very important in the NHL. You can't be at your best without being in good physical shape.

Of course, there are exceptions like Dustin Byfuglien, but we can all agree that a guy like Michkov needs to be in shape more than Byfuglien does in his position.

In short, Michkov will have to arrive at training camp in good physical condition if he wants to have a great season and likely win over his coach.


In a Nutshell

– Enjoy the show.

– Worth a read.

– EA Sports sold a dream with (finally) new voice lines, only for it to turn out to be AI…

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