First Connor Bedard vs. Matvei Michkov NHL Matchup Has Been A Long Time Coming – Hockey Writers – Philadelphia Flyers

Saturday, Nov. 23, two promising young hockey players will meet for the first time in the NHL. This matchup, between Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers, both 19 years old, has been a long time coming.

What exactly makes this game, which will be held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, so special? Despite being separated by six spots in the 2023 NHL Draft, they have been big names for a long time. This will not be the first time they play together.

2021 Under-18 World Championship: Bedard and Michkov Compete for Gold

The last time we covered Bedard and Michkov's rivalry was during this tournament. But for context, let's back up a bit.

In their 2020-21 seasons at the age of 15 and 16, the two were already the best players in their minor leagues. Bedard was one of the leading scorers in the Western Hockey League (WHL) as a player with a special status. Despite a short campaign, he has put up 12 goals and 16 assists for 28 points in 15 games. Good for averaging 1.87 points per game, he was already in the 99th percentile in scoring in a league with players up to five years older than him. Bedard's unprecedented scoring pace has made him the hope of a generation—no one has touched these numbers.

On the other hand, Michkov has lit up the Junior Hockey League (MHL) of Russia with 38 goals and 56 points in 56 games, putting him first in the scoring category despite competing against a number of 16-year-old players. campaign. For reference, only three players in the MHL scored at least 20 goals in those years: Michkov, 2025 draft-eligible Ivan Ryabkin (29), and Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov (24). Additionally, those are the only players with at least five games played to reach the point-per-game pace at age 16.

This set up the 2021 Under-18 World Championship, which ran from April 26 to May 6, 2021. How did our two championship hopes fare, you might ask? Two “rivals” ruled.

Connor Bedard says he and Matvei Michkov talk and text sometimes. They will face each other tomorrow.

“It's funny: When you play with people, you try to create a rivalry, but usually you're friends or you want to see the other guy succeed. I'm always rooting for him.”

– Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 22, 2024

Finally, the top three scorers of the World Championship were as follows: Michkov (16 points; 12 goals, four assists), Bedard (14 points; seven goals, seven assists), and Shane Wright (14 points; nine goals, five assists. ). Thanks to their impressive performances, Michkov's Russian club and Bedard's Canadian club faced off to win gold to cap off an amazing tournament. The kids put together one of the most intense hockey games you will ever see.

In a back-and-forth contest that saw both countries leading the way, Canada emerged victorious, 5-3. Michkov scored the opening goal and collected two assists for three points, while Bedard answered Michkov's goal with his own beauty and set up Wright's empty heartbreaker in the final minute.

While he should have gotten the silver, Michkov was still named the MVP of the tournament for his jaw-dropping performance. Bedard led his country to the big prize and put up similar numbers, so both sides showed the world that they would be an exciting team to go first and second overall in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Blackhawks and Flyers Hit the Jackpot

Except, the last part never happened. Bedard went first overall to the Blackhawks, the team that was determined to get him, but Michkov was not taken until seventh overall to the Flyers. Why?

Well, it wasn't a performance. Bedard had 143 points in 57 games in 2022-23 in the WHL, the highest per game total by a 17-year-old in history. He was a standout for the Regina Pats, putting on a clinic against a struggling team (they never won half of their games).

As for Michkov, he has moved on to the Supreme Hockey League (VHL), playing with the professionals. In 12 games, his 10 goals and four assists for 14 points made him one of the best players in the league despite his young age. Among players with at least 10 games played, he was first in goals per game and second in points per game. Apparently so good in the VHL, he moved on to Russia's top league, the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). There, he posted the best point-per-game pace (0.67) for a player in their draft year in history, with 20 points in 30 games.

Just looking at Michkov's numbers and talent as a player, he should probably be considered the same as Bedard. However, there were various reasons why he was not there. Russian politics, being under contract through the 2025-26 season in the KHL, is seen as a bad partner, and in a draft with many high-end talents who had little risk to them, the Flyers got him seventh overall. . But that doesn't erase history.

Related: Flyers' Matvei Michkov Could Rise in 2024-25 Based on Historical Trends

In 2023-24, Bedard began his NHL career, winning the Calder Trophy by posting 61 points in 68 games with the Blackhawks. Working out his contract in the KHL, Michkov had 41 points in 48 games, placing him in the 96th percentile in points per game (0.85) among forwards with at least 10 appearances. Bedard was moving forward, but Michkov was still stargazing.

Bedard and Michkov in the Present

Thankfully for the NHL world, Michkov's KHL contract was terminated two years early. This meant he was able to join the Flyers in 2024-25, setting us up for where we are today—waiting for his battle with Bedard.

Since they are in the same league, we can compare the two youngsters. Michkov has been on fire, posting six goals and nine assists for 15 points in 18 games with a minus-3 average. Bedard is right up there with him, sitting on three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 20 games with a minus-6 rating. Both the Flyers (8-10-2 record) and the Blackhawks (7-12-1 record) have had major offenses so far, but both have done their best to fix that.

This combination can be one of many. Although it is a competition between top clubs, all eyes will be on both Bedard and Michkov as they meet for the first time in three years.

Statistics courtesy of QuantHockey