Flyers confident that locker room will facilitate Michkov's transition

The Flyers have been high on their locker room.

John Tortorella time and again last season expressed trust in his team.

Players noticeably got along and would gladly speak about it.

When Ivan Fedotov, a 6-foot-7 goalie of mystery, suddenly arrived from Russia with the Flyers' season swaying in the balance, the team seemed to genuinely embrace him.

So as Matvei Michkov starts his acclimation to America and the best league in the world, the Flyers are banking on that all-important locker room to deliver. To help the 19-year-old Russian learn the English language, to help him understand Tortorella's coaching and to help him feel at home.

"From my own personal experience with that, it'll take a couple of months for him to feel more and more comfortable," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said nine days ago about the player-coach dynamic. "The hockey terms are very similar. I'm not worried about that, especially with him being here two months early, he's going to feel more and more comfortable. And with Torts, sometimes words don't necessarily have to be spoken. I'm really not worried, I think by the time training camp starts and the regular season starts, he'll feel comfortable and it won't be an issue."

As a 20-year-old French Canadian, Briere didn't know much English when he turned pro in 1997-98. But he's not naive to the reality of Michkov's transition being a more challenging one.

"The culture is totally different coming from Canada to the U.S. versus coming from Russia," Briere admitted. "It's not going to be easy for him."

The Flyers have lined up a tutor for Michkov while translator Slava Kuznetsov, a team consultant, has been seen often by his side since the top prospect arrived 10 days ago. The club is hopeful that Michkov's mother Maria and his younger brother Prohor will come to the United States at some point before or during training camp in September.

But Michkov will be around his teammates probably more than he is anyone else. Two of them, Fedotov and Egor Zamula, are from Russia.

"It's really comfortable to have somebody that speaks the native language on the team," Michkov said through Kuznetsov at an introductory press conference. "But every day I'm getting more and more English, so hopefully soon I'll be able to not just listen, but reply."

Sean Couturier and Erik Johnson, among other veterans, reached out to Michkov after he signed his entry-level contract and started to make his way to the Flyers.

"Obviously re-signing Zamula, bringing in Fedotov at the end of last season, those are guys that hopefully will be able to help him," Briere said. "But we also have a pretty tight locker room. Guys like Nick Deslauriers, Garnet Hathaway, just to start with those two guys, Erik Johnson — great veterans that understand, that have been around a long time, will make sure that he fits in and they're going to help him out, they're going to go out of their way."

The Flyers showed Michkov a video of Deslauriers fighting the Rangers' Matt Rempe from February.

Not a bad guy to have on your side.

"We told him it's his new best friend," Briere said with a smile.

More on Michkov

• Michkov throws out first pitch at Phillies vs. Yankees game

• From plane to press conference, Michkov shows more than just talent

• Michkov has landed — Flyers' top prospect arrives (in a Phillies hat)

• IGot you — Johnson helping Michkov prepare for transition to Flyers

• Briere: Tortorella will coach Michkov 'just like he does everybody else'

• Flyers surrounding Michkov with help just as important as his arrival

• How Flyers prospect Michkov's rise was evident in 'a title fight'

• What makes Flyers prospect Michkov a 'spotlight player'

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