Flyers’ Matvei Michkov fined $2,000 for embellishment

The NHL has announced that Philadelphia Flyers right winger Matvei Michkov has been fined $2,000 for embellishment. 

The play in which Michkov was fined for came in the Flyers’ 3-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 24. The embellished play saw Michkov tied up with the Blue Jackets’ Dante Fabbro, with the latter forcibly shoving Michkov, before the Flyers forward dropped to the ice too quickly. 

Per Rule 64 in the NHL and NHLPA’s collective bargaining agreement, fines are handed out on a gradual scale based on the number of offenses the player commits. A player will receive a warning on their first citation, followed by fines of $2,000, $3,000, and $4,000, and then every subsequent fine will be $5,000. The player’s respective head coach will also begin receiving fines on the fifth citation onwards.

Michkov had received his warning citation for a play during the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 3. The NHL did not specify which play in that game was flagged for embellishment, but that moment set the stage for Michkov to begin earning fines for the offense. 

While there have been struggles in adjusting to the demands of head coach Rick Tocchet’s systems in Philadelphia, Michkov has enjoyed a relatively productive 2025-26 NHL season, scoring 17 goals and 26 assists for 43 points through 76 games. 

Coming off back-to-back wins against the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, the Flyers will look to keep the momentum going when they visit the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. ET. 

Heading into their final five games, including Tuesday’s clash, the Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division and are in the hunt to secure a spot in the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, having not qualified for the postseason since 2020.