Philly Leader

Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov has been recognized as the NHL Rookie of the Month for October. The 19-year-old player recorded four goals and five assists, totaling nine points over 11 games. He led all rookies in goals and tied for the most points during this period.

Michkov, who was selected seventh overall in the 2023 NHL Draft, also topped rookie charts with three power-play goals and six power-play points. He is tied for the most multi-point games among rookies with three, ranks second in time-on-ice per game at 18:26, third in shots on net with 20, and fourth in points per game at 0.82. His three power-play goals are notable as they rank second across the entire NHL.

Michkov played all 11 games for the Flyers so far this season. He made his NHL debut on October 11 against Vancouver, secured his first NHL point on October 12 against Calgary, and scored his first NHL goal on October 15 against Edmonton.

Before joining the Flyers, Michkov spent much of last season with HC Sochi in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he tallied 19 goals and 22 assists for a total of 41 points over 47 games. Initially part of SKA St. Petersburg's roster, he played one game before being loaned to HC Sochi for the rest of the season.

Standing at 5'10" and weighing 176 pounds, Michkov led HC Sochi in goals (19), ranked second in total points (41), and was third in assists (22). Over that season, he achieved eleven multipoint games which included three three-point games and five separate three-game point streaks. As an Under-20 player, he concluded the season with five goals and eight points across his final nine games.