Matvey Michkov and Ivan Demidov will always be compared.
Both players were considered top-three picks in their respective drafts, but both dropped several spots.
The two talented young Russians have fairly similar characteristics on the ice, and the age difference is one year, give or take a day. However, off the ice there are significant differences.
However, the two compatriots often talk to each other, as Michkov revealed in a recent interview that can be heard on the hockey Reddit page.
Michkov also added that they are very close.
Source:
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) September 10, 2026
The Philadelphia Flyers forward mostly talked about how he was “banned” from trading jerseys with other players.
That didn’t stop him from receiving jerseys from Alex Ovechkin and Demidov, among others.
Ovechkin even signed his jersey when he gave it to him after the Flyers-Capitals game, even though he knew he couldn’t get Michkov’s jersey in return.
In the Russian-language video (translated with English subtitles), you can feel Michkov’s frustration with the team’s decision to not allow him to exchange jerseys.
“After the game, Ovechkin came up to me with his jersey, and I couldn’t give him mine. I just stood there like an idiot, without a jersey, and didn’t know what to say.” — Matvey Michkov
However, it is unclear why he is not allowed to do this.
However, he keeps in touch with his compatriots, and yet it is interesting that he is very close to Demidov, although they do not actually have the same personality types.
Demidov is perceived as a smiling young guy who lives and breathes hockey and loves the city in which he plays, but is already a role model at his age. As for Michkov, he is perceived more as a player who is difficult to coach, who doesn’t seem to make good decisions, and I don’t know if he’s really that happy playing in Philadelphia.
In short, the fact that the organization won’t allow him to trade shirts is pretty… weird.
In a nutshell
– Enjoy the show.
The biggest surprise in Habs training camp will be… | The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro featuring @GaumondShayne and Pierre McGuire, September 11, 2026
— Tony Marinaro (@TonyMarinaro) September 12, 2026
– Really.
If I were the Toronto Blue Jays, I would replace Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the next two games. Tonight again he hurt the team more than he helped them.
— Terry Jones (@byterryjones) September 12, 2026
– A hockey player filed a lawsuit against Bauer after a devastating accident. [HockeyFeed]