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Matvei Michkov is ashamed of himself

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated May 12, 2026 6:23 PM ET

Let's just say Matvei Michkov couldn't have done any worse in his first NHL playoff appearance.

Eight games, no goals, just one assist… and that's not even counting the fact that he was benched twice by Rick Tocchet because the coach was fed up with not seeing him get involved on the ice.

How does the player feel about all this?

Michkov answered reporters' questions today during the Flyers' end-of-season press conference and said he feels ashamed.

He's ashamed of himself because he wasn't able to live up to the expectations of the young Flyers fans who wore his jersey. There also seems to be some confusion regarding the team's expectations of him, which is why he's meeting with team management on Thursday.

Will the two sides discuss the player's future in Philly? Hmm…

One thing's for sure: it's a pretty harsh assessment. But at least he faced the music…

Takeaways from Matvei Michkov's press conference –

– Expressed frustration with the way he played in the playoffs. Said he saw a lot of kids wearing his jersey and was ashamed he couldn't score.

– Mentioned multiple times that he wants to play next year like he did after the…

— Ashlyn Sullivan (@ashlynrsullivan) May 12, 2026

The kid wasn't able to live up to the expectations placed on him. He couldn't step up his game when it really mattered… and that explains, in part, why his coach no longer trusted him during the playoffs.

But Michkov knows this, and that's why he wants to have a big summer on the ice. He wants to come back to camp next fall with a chip on his shoulder, and that might be the most encouraging thing for the Flyers and their fans.

He'll have to work hard, though. Because he can't say things like that and then coast along for months afterward…

The ball is in his court because everyone knows he has the talent to become a good NHL player.

But seeing that he realizes it takes more than that to make it happen is already a good start.

Now it remains to be seen if his actions will match his words…

In a nutshell

– Yeah!

Even more home-cooked hockey

More home cookin'#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/8NynL9C022

— x – Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) May 12, 2026

– Oh.

Boston's Charlie McAvoy has been suspended for six regular-season games for slashing Buffalo's Zach Benson. https://t.co/j90GKNYbMe

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 12, 2026

– And rightly so.