Matvei Michkov is the new star of the <a href='https://www.nhl.com/flyers/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Philadelphia Flyers</a>, and fans were in panic when he was benched for two games. The ridiculous reason has been revealed. The growing pains have come in spades with the Flyers this season, but blue-chipper rookie Matvei Michkov is off to a flying start and has become their unexpected ray of hope. The 19-year-old Russian sensation has collected 7 goals and 13 points in his first 15 NHL games and is rapidly working his way into the upper echelons of what is shaping up to be a very crowded <a href='https://www.markerzone.com/hockey/stats/nhl/trophies.php?no=7' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Calder Trophy</a> race. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1856169407656980983'> </a></blockquote></div> Despite such an illustrious beginning, it was surprising enough to find Michkov being benched by head coach John Tortorella in the recent games. Such a move had been speculated by the fans in unison with various analysts. The move did seem a bit uncharacteristic of Tortorella initially; however, some new facts have come to light. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman mentioned on his '32 Thoughts' podcast that there was a loud argument between Michkov and the coaching staff during the course of a recent game that led to the benching. Michkov's brief removal apparently had something to do with an exchange on the bench the Flyers wished to address. It wasn't anything enormous or concerning, more like a «let's deal with it now and move on» teaching moment. - Elliotte Friedman Friedman also went on to speak of Michkov's fiery competitiveness, relating an anecdote that really underlined just how much drive the young player has for success. He was so mad at losing at table tennis to one of Philadelphia's other Russians that he refused to talk to whoever it was for a day or so. He's super-competitive and wants to do the right things, so you wait to see how a young player handles being sat - and more importantly, how his teammates react - Elliotte Friedman Actually, the call for debate might have been his benching, but it does seem to have acted as a wake-up call for the young Michkov, who since going back in the lineup has been nothing short of spectacular, including <a href='https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/michkov-scores-ot-winner-to-lift-flyers-past-senators/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>a slam-bang overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators</a>, a moment that really showcased his resiliency and talent. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/BigHeadHcky/status/1856191204922405338'> </a></blockquote></div> While the Flyers worked their way through their issues, development for Michkov was always key, and <a href='https://www.hockeylatest.com/nhl-team/philadelphia-flyers/philadelphia-flyers-head-coach-john-tortorella-tempers-expectations-for-matvei-michkov-this-season' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Tortorella has always said he isn't going to rush into anything regarding the team's top rookie</a>. For now, though, another benching might be in the cards, but the development arc promisingly remains. Now, however, Michkov shines bright, carrying both his team and Calder Trophy aspirations with a maturity beyond his years.