PHILADELPHIA — It’s not a coincidence that defenseman Erik Johnson is seated smack next to rookie Matvei Michkov in the Philadelphia Flyers’ dressing room at their practice facility in South Jersey. The veteran was re-signed to a one-year contract in the offseason for defensive depth but also to help set an example and foster the culture that everyone in a position of power in the organization frequently mentions.
What goes on behind closed doors is impossible to say, even if Egor Zamula offered up one humorous anecdote in the preseason. But on the ice, it’s there for everyone to see. Take Monday, for example, in Michkov’s first game back after a two-game demotion to the press box. Johnson took exception to San Jose Sharks tough guy Givani Smith pestering the promising teenage winger and immediately stepped in to fight the imposing fourth-liner.
“I’m not much of a fighter, but we have each other’s backs,” Johnson said. “If you have to stand in there and take a few punches to let your teammates know that you’ve got their back, I think that’s important. … I think it’s just the message that counts, not only to their team but to your teammates.”
A message, and undoubtedly a lesson, too, for the young Michkov, that the organization emphasizes such things.
There have been other examples. Sean Couturier jumped in for the rookie who was on the receiving end of a hit from a Boston Bruins minor leaguer in a preseason game Sep. 28, and Saturday in the Flyers’ dominant 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres at Wells Fargo Center, it was Travis Konecny’s turn.
After Michkov froze goalie Devon Levi on a two-on-none break before pushing the puck to Konecny for an easy conversion, the Sabres’ Zach Benson rode Michkov into the end wall. Rather than celebrating with or thanking Michkov for setting him up for an easy goal, Konecny beelined for Benson, initiating a scrum that resulted in coincidental minors.
Konecny, of course, is never afraid to get involved in the post-whistle pushing and shoving. He seems to enjoy it, even. But when it comes to sticking up for Michkov, that’s something coach John Tortorella mentioned the Flyers spoke about as a team before the season, especially when fellow teenager Jett Luchanko was on the roster, too.
“He’s a 19-year-old kid, and he’s got some jam to him,” Tortorella said of Michkov. “I don’t want him to put these guys in a lot of different situations when it’s not needed, but we did talk about that when we had the two young kids, the two teenagers, that people have to jump in, in that type of situation. I don’t think (Michkov is) going to hesitate to take care of himself, either, eventually here.”
Just not yet. Instead, Tortorella and the Flyers are surely more concerned with Michkov getting his game in order — which seems to be happening, as he posted a pair of assists Saturday and has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in his first 16 career games. It’s a plain-as-day example of why the Flyers, still claiming to be rebuilding, have put culture first and everything else second, at least for the time being.
“If there’s one thing that’s come together in our rebuild, it’s that,” Tortorella said.
And that now includes Johnson, who played in his 1,000th career game Saturday. The respect Johnson already has from his teammates was on display Saturday morning when he was chosen to lead the team through its post-morning-skate stretch routine. Johnson slid his 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame to center ice, where he was encircled by everyone, and for about 60 seconds, they whooped and hollered and slammed their sticks around him. There was more. After the stretch, they mobbed the defenseman and, one by one, high-fived him in recognition of one of hockey’s truly momentous milestones.
I am so grateful to have played my 1000th game as a Flyer. Thank you to everyone who has helped me along the way. I can’t wait to celebrate Monday with everyone. Extra special to have that celebration be with the @Avalanche where I spent so many great years. Thank you. -EJ https://t.co/wd7rxGgLzx
— Erik Johnson (@6ErikJohnson) November 17, 2024
“I think I have tinnitus, it was so loud,” Johnson said. “It was cool, just a great group of guys here, especially to share a moment with them.”
Asked about how Johnson adds to the culture, Tortorella said: “He’s one of the best ones I’ve seen. I watch his interactions with his teammates. It’s important, especially what we’re trying to do here as far as building.”
And building, the Flyers are. After their lousy 1-5-1 start, the Flyers are back to .500 after arguably their best game of the season. They are 8-8-2 overall but 4-0-1 in their past five, including three straight wins.
Philadelphia is looking more like the team it was for most of last season, particularly if the goaltending holds up, as it has been, with a suddenly steady Ivan Fedotov notching 23 saves Saturday.
The culture has perhaps been the foundation of the turnaround. Even Thursday, when the Flyers were dominated territorially by the Ottawa Senators yet escaped with a 5-4 overtime win, their will to try to change the tide was still evident, according to Garnet Hathaway, even when they weren’t at their best, and it stems from what they’ve established culture-wise.
“I think we’ve played for each other even more so now than we did before,” Hathaway said. “It’s understanding that things aren’t going to go your way the entire time but trying to find the will to make it go your way.”
Said Tortorella: “(Thursday’s win over the Senators is) a great lesson. … It’s something I think we can fall back on as we go through a long, 82-game schedule: We weren’t good, but we kept ourselves in the game by just a simple attitude of trying to do whatever we can to keep it close.”
They are the kinds of lessons Johnson believes will help the team’s young core eventually reach greater heights, even if he’ll be long retired by then.
“It gets talked about a lot. Like, what is culture and how does it affect your team?” Johnson said. “It’s people doing things for the good of the team that might not be in the best interest of themselves. … I think we talk about it a lot, the culture, but here in this room, it’s special. I think it’s going to go a long way.”
(Photo of Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
