How John Tortorella Feels About Matvei Michkov Attempting The ‘Michigan Goal’
Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella rubs some members of the new generation of hockey fans the wrong way.
His old school head coaching style has succeeded more often than it’s failed in nearly 1700 career NHL regular-season and playoff games. However, it doesn’t mesh with too many younger fans focused on YouTube highlight reels and elements of the game that seemed outrageous before the 2004-05 lockout.
What’s the most obvious microcosm of that new-age fandom? The “Michigan goal” of course.
John Tortorella Questions the Michigan/Dishigan Goal
Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano teamed up for a highlight-reel goal in December 2021.
John Tortorella worked as an ESPN analyst when the two Anaheim Ducks reworked the Michigan goal with their own spin. Instead of complimenting the play, he questioned whether it was good for the direction of a league that he considered more honest in his early days as a head coach.
“If you did that back in 2000, late ‘90s-2000, you’d get your head taken off. It’s cool. It’s cool to watch and all that, but I’m not so sure it’s good for the game.” -John Tortorella
The former Stanley Cup winner acknowledged the “Dishigan goal” as a way to attract new fans. However, his tough veteran tone stole some of the attention from the players involved.
He later walked back his comments and properly recognized that Milano, whom he had previously coached, and Zegras deserved the spotlight for a spectacular goal.
John Tortorella & Matvei Michkov
How does John Tortorella react three years later when a jaw-dropping skill player like Matvei Michkov tries the Michigan goal from behind an opponent’s net?
“I have talked to him early in the year when he was doing it every time. It was just turnovers. The thing I want Mich(kov) to understand is he’s such a good player moving the puck and passing the puck. When he’s behind the net, he’s dangerous to make plays.” -John Tortorella
The grizzled veteran coach takes his fair share of criticism for unusual coaching methods that sometimes align with an old school NHL mentality.
However, his comments following Michkov’s attempted goal kept a reasonable perspective.
Tortorella – for all his faults – frequently speaks with self-awareness that should make his critics think twice before dismissing him as an outdated tyrant.
Related Content: The Real Appeal of Matvei Michkov For Flyers Fans
He’s avoided the cliche of older NHL coaches focusing too heavily on defense. Instead, he’s encouraged skilled defensemen to play aggressively to push the puck up ice.
Zach Werenski famously developed into a “rover” defenseman who attacked offensively from the blue line during Tortorella’s tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Travis Sanheim has developed similarly with the Flyers.
Some fans also forget that 5-foot-8 winger Martin St. Louis helped carry Tortorella’s Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004 with highlight-reel skill.
The two-time Jack Adams Award winner has more recently attempted to find the proper balance between coaching Michkov to improve his all-around game and letting the Russian phenom’s skill shine in a tremendous rookie season.
“What am I going to do? Say don’t do it? What I did, I said you need to understand there are other plays to be made there too because a number of times he tried it earlier in the year, all’s they were were turnovers.” -John Tortorella
Michkov’s attempt on Thursday night against the Detroit Red Wings came during bonus power-play time from a delayed penalty call. The missed opportunity carried no risk of hurting the Flyers with a rush the other way.
John Tortorella might not rejoice over any of his players trying the illustrious Michigan goal. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that means he holds no perspective on the modern NHL game.
