**Flyers GM Daniel Briere Addresses Locker Room Rumors Ahead of Game**
*PHILADELPHIA* — The last thing the Flyers needed was more gossip about an unsettled locker room. That’s why general manager Daniel Briere opted to hold an unscheduled media conference roughly 20 minutes before Tuesday night’s Flyers-Washington Capitals game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Rumors have swirled since the beginning of the season about a possible rift between coach Rick Tocchet and Russian second-year player Matvei Michkov. It’s no secret that Michkov arrived at training camp last September in less-than-ideal shape. Tocchet is known for not tolerating players who aren’t game-ready when the season starts, so it was only natural that trade rumors began to circulate.
“One thing I can tell you is Matvei Michkov isn’t going anywhere,” Briere stated firmly. “Let’s make that clear. Matvei is going to be here for a long time. He’s going to be a good player for the Flyers.”
Few expected Michkov to match his impressive 26-goal rookie season last year—after all, the dreaded sophomore slump is a real phenomenon in sports.
“What he’s going through right now is all part of the learning process,” Briere explained. “So that’s out of the way. He’s not going anywhere. He’ll be here, and he’ll be a good player.”
Briere noted that it’s a positive sign that Tocchet is actively investing time and effort in teaching Michkov how to play the game the right way.
“They [the young Flyers] are learning,” Briere said. “That’s what Rick Tocchet is trying to teach them. I’ve been through it, [team president] Keith Jones has been through it, Rick Tocchet has been through it. It’s all part of the process.”
The GM acknowledged that bumps along the road were to be expected when Michkov joined the team, and this current situation might just be one of those bumps.
“I talk to Rick Tocchet on a daily basis, and he wants Matvei to succeed,” Briere said. “He wants to develop him to be the best player he can be. Along the way, there are tough lessons that come with that. It’s like raising a child. There are tough lessons that he’s learning along the way.”
“He and Matvei have a good relationship. Sometimes they’re fiery when you’re not winning. Things are done and said, but they always come back to what’s best for the team and Matvei.”
According to Briere, Tocchet is focused on teaching these young players to become better professionals—emphasizing the importance of everything off the ice, from training and nutrition to getting massages and being ready for the next game.
Briere said that with the exception of Wayne Gretzky, probably all players go through these trying times. Perhaps things would have been different if Michkov had reported for training camp in top shape.
“One thing I know about Matvei is how driven he is,” Briere added. “He wants to be the best player he can be. He admitted himself he wasn’t in the best physical condition coming in. It’s going to be tough catching up. He’s going to do that in the offseason. It’s going to make him a better hockey player.”
As for the Flyers’ recent slump and their temporary fall from playoff contention, Briere urged patience.
“There’s a little bit of noise that’s going around,” he said, “especially when it comes to a little rocky patch that we’ve hit lately. I know it’s upset a lot of people. But it’s just the reality of a team growing.”
“Early in the season, when we were fighting for one of the top positions in the division, we realized that was probably a little ahead of schedule.”
Over the past month, a series of poor performances have dropped the Flyers about 10 points out of a playoff spot.
“What’s happening now, the way we’ve been playing, it’s not as bad as the way we’ve been playing,” Briere said. “So we’re somewhere in between all that. It’s important to keep an even keel.”
Briere emphasized that the Flyers are still in a rebuild, even though this is his third year at the helm and the team risks missing the playoffs for a potential franchise-record sixth consecutive season.
One thing is clear: no one cares more about the Flyers’ future than Daniel Briere. He is committed to doing everything in his power to get the rebuild done the right way, even if it means addressing behind-the-scenes issues just minutes before an important game.
*Wayne Fish is a freelance writer. Follow his coverage at [www.flyingfishhockey.com](http://www.flyingfishhockey.com).*
https://www.thetimes-tribune.com/2026/02/03/flyers-gm-briere-attempts-to-defuse-perceived-tocchet-michkov-conflict/
