Matvei Michkov says he’s down to 176 pounds after coming into last year at 205, a 29-pound drop that became one of the talking points in a recent YouTube interview titled Michkov’s Vacation.
A clip from the interview, cut and captioned by @Uggg_uggg, surfaced on Twitter and included Michkov discussing his weight, how much he has lost, the Philadelphia coach flying to Russia, and “that funny InBody body‑fat test story 😂”
“Last year I came in at (205 pounds), thought I was totally fine, in great shape. Turns out life ain’t that simple. Now I weigh (176 pounds).”
Michkov’s size was already a major storyline last season. Rick Tocchet said at least four or five times that the sophomore winger arrived at camp out of shape. Michkov spent the early part of the season trying to catch up, looked good after the Olympic break, then ended up as a healthy scratch in a couple of playoff games.
The new number stands out even more when you look at the Flyers’ current roster. Only Denver Barkey and Ilya Pautov are listed below 176 pounds. At the other end, 205 pounds would have put Michkov heavier than every other forward except Nikita Grebenkin, Tyson Foerster, and Porter Martone.
For now, the takeaway is simple: Michkov looks to be in better shape, and the Flyers probably won’t have to keep hearing about his weight anymore.
One other moment from the interview stood out. In a separate clip, the discussion touched on a “banya,” the Russian bathhouse that’s similar to a sauna. Michkov noted that they don’t have banyas in Philadelphia, while the clip also showed the traditional tree whisk used for massage purposes.
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