Flyers Star Matvei Michkov Reportedly Okay After Crash In Dubai, Alleged Extortion Attempt
Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov's rookie campaign was a successful one, with the 20-year-old getting snubbed in the Calder Trophy race thanks to a stellar rookie class.
However, his offseason isn't getting off to a fun start with news that he was involved in a car accident and an alleged extortion attempt while in Dubai.
On Tuesday, reports began circulating that a car rented under Michkov's name had been involved in a crash in the United Arab Emirates, with it eventually coming out that Michkov was not behind the wheel at the time of the incident.
Fortunately, Michkov is reportedly alright after the crash, which appears to have caused some significant damage to the front of the rented BMW.
According to The Hockey News, Shuk al-Kathiri, a lawyer working on Michkov's behalf, gave additional information on the incident.
"Michkov was in the passenger seat, and the driver was sober. Matvei was not tested for alcohol, and did not drink anything either," al-Kathiri said. "From the point of view of UAE laws, there are no questions for him."
The lawyer also revealed that following the incident, a car rental company "illegally [held] the passports of two citizens of the Russian Federation." That is believed to be a reference to Michkov and the person driving the car at the time of the incident, who is reported to be a friend of the NHLer. Furthermore, al-Kathiri claimed that the company tried "extort[ing] about 100 thousand dollars from Matvei so that information about him would not be distributed to the media."
It sounds like things are going to be okay, but this is not the kind of news the Flyers would've wanted after Michkov asserted himself as their franchise centerpiece.
Furthermore, I'm sure a lot of Flyers fans' stomachs were in their throats upon hearing that a promising young player had been involved in a car crash, immediately bringing to mind the tragic death of Flyers netminder Pelle Lindbergh in a car crash in 1985.