It was the other current sports resident of the Wells Fargo Center, the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team, that championed the phrase “Trust the Process” over the last decade in Philadelphia sports history. That was the first thought that comes to mind anytime some mentions, or ever rhymes with, the word process. Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella spoke to the media regarding his decision to scratch Matvei Michkov from the lineup on Thursday night in Tampa Bay mentioning the lightning-rod seven-letter word.
Flyers bench Michkov
Tortorella scratched 19-year-old Matvei Michkov for last night’s 2-1 overtime win over the Lightning. Before the game, the Flyers bench boss was tight-lipped regarding the benching, telling the assembled media that it was a simple “part of the process” for the young Russian forward.
The veteran NHL head coach has been very consistent during his Philadelphia Flyers tenure in how he has handled young NHL talent. Matvei Michkov can reach out to a pair of teammates who experienced similar situations last season if he needs advice on how to deal with the unexpected press box stint who experienced the same tough coaching last season.
Joel Farabee Benched in November 2023
John Tortorella has a history of sending a strong message to a player when he feels it’s needed. Only one message needed to be sent to Joel Farabee last season, and it occurred during a late November home game against the New Jersey Devils at the Wells Fargo Center. While the young forward played all 82 games last season, this is one night at the home rink he’d probably rather not recall.
On November 30, 2024, Philadelphia’s 23-year-old forward played only 56 seconds following two shifts and a goal against in the home game. On the first-period play, Farabee overextended himself in the offensive zone and didn’t make enough of an effort on the back check for the veteran NHL coaches liking. Farabee spent the remaining 59 minutes of the 4-3 overtime loss opening and closing the door for his teammates despite the Flyers already playing short a forward in the game due to a Garnet Hathaway injury in the first period.
Two nights before, Farabee was on the ice for two goals against in a 4-1 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. It was the compounding of errors that caught the attention of Tortorella, and it was clear the head coach had seen enough. “He didn’t listen,” Tortorella told the media following the game.
Joel Farabee heeded his coaches instructions moving forward appearing in all 82 games for the Philadelphia Flyers last season. The Syracuse, New York-born winger finished with 22 goals and 28 points reaching the 50-point plateau for the first time in his NHL career in 2024.
Bobby Brink Sits in Hometown Return to Minnesota
Thankfully for Matvei Michkov, the Philadephia Flyers aren’t scheduled to appear in a road game in Russia any time soon. Otherwise, Michkov could’ve suffered the same disappointment that Bobby Brink experienced in his road trip home to Minnesota as an NHLer… except Bobby Brink didn’t suit up in his hometown NHL rink in last January. It was the first time John Tortorella held Brink out of the lineup in over a month.
grew up 30 minutes away from the Xcel Energy Center, the home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. When the rookie made the team out of training camp last season, one can only imagine he eyed up his return to his home state as a NHL hockey player. With his friends and family in the building, Brink watched from the press box has his team skated to a 3-2 overtime victory. Tortorella echoed a familiar line last January regarding the scratching of 22-year-old Bobby Brink for the game. “This is all a part of the process for Bobby,” Philly’s bench boss said. “He’s going to be a really good player, but there are a lot of things he needs to work on, and I think he’s been a little inconsistent.”
Bobby Brink appeared in 69% of games for Philadelphia last season with 57 games played out of a possible 82. Brink scored 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in his first full NHL season. He was demoted to the AHL for a month in late January. The five-foot-eight forward finished the season with the big club after a late Feburary call-up.
Brink and Farabee are expected to be in the lineup tomorrow night for the final road contest of the three-game swing through North Carolina and Florida. It is not known yet if Mickov will join them. However, John Tortorella and the Flyers will need all the firepower he can get as Philadelphia visits the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers for a 6pm Saturday evening puck drop.
Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
