2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft - Round One — Flyers' Matvei Michkov unwilling to play in Sochi after father's mysterious death

Flyers' Matvei Michkov unwilling to play in Sochi after father's mysterious death

Modified Aug 13, 2023 12:18 GMT

Philadelphia Flyers center Matvei Michkov was reluctant to continue his career with the KHL's Sochi team in light of a tragic event that deeply impacted the young player's life, according to the team's coach Dmitry Kokorev.

In April, Michkov's father, Andrei, was found dead in a pond near Sochi after going missing for two days.

Kokorev explained that before the incident, Michkov, who had been loaned by SKA to HC Sochi for a part of the 2022–23 season, was keen on continuing his stint with Sochi.

"We knew that Matvey would return to SKA," Kokorev revealed. "Before that, he expressed a desire to play for Sochi, he would love to have stayed with us. He said that everything reminds him of this here."

It was evident from Kokorev's words that Michkov's capacity to cope with his personal loss while carrying out his professional responsibilities was severely challenged in the Sochi setting.

Also read: Questions raised over Matvei Michkov’s character as concerning update emerges from SKA camp

Unexplained circumstances surrounding death of father of Philadelphia Flyers center Matvei Michkov

Andrei Michkov, the father of the Flyers' center, was found dead under unexplained circumstances on April 4. The Russian Hockey Federation confirmed the news via Twitter, stating that Andrei had gone missing earlier that week. An emergency alert had been issued, indicating his disappearance since April 2.

According to reports, Andrei had left the residence he shared with his son on Sunday night, assuring he would return shortly. His body was later discovered in a pond near Sochi. At the time of his demise, Andrei was just 51 years old.