Porter Martone, the No. 6 selection of the 2025 NHL Draft who is widely viewed as the Philadelphia Flyers’ top prospect, has signed a three-year entry-level deal with the club, the Flyers announced Sunday.
Martone joins Philadelphia after wrapping up his freshman season at Michigan State, where he posted a team-leading 25 goals and 50 points in 35 games. The Spartans’ season ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Wisconsin in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament.
In January, Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones spoke about the organization’s excitement over the development of the 19-year-old Martone. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound forward arguably exceeded expectations in his lone college season. Not only is Martone a potential high-end scorer at the NHL level, but his abrasive style could quickly endear him to Flyers fans. When he was drafted, Martone compared himself to players such as Corey Perry, Matthew Tkachuk and former Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds.
“He’s been productive in a very tough league, and that’s impressive,” Jones said then. “He’s got some dirt under his fingernails. He likes a certain style of play, which I think is something that’s conducive to the way we’ll need him to play when he gets here.”
Martone, a natural right wing, joins a Flyers team awash with quality young wingers. The Flyers have Travis Konecny, Matvei Michkov and Owen Tippett on the right and, at left wing — a position Martone has said he can also play — a currently injured Tyson Foerster, as well as promising young players Alex Bump, Denver Barkey and Nikita Grebenkin.
While it’s uncertain where coach Rick Tocchet will use Martone, one area in which the teenager could help spark the team — immediately and in the future — is its league-worst power play. Eight of Martone’s 25 goals this season with Michigan State came with a man advantage.
Martone’s signing also alleviates any concern that there could be a repeat of the Cutter Gauthier situation, when the former Flyers prospect and No. 5 draft pick in 2022 spurned the club after two seasons at Boston College and was traded to Anaheim.
Martone posted 37 goals and 98 points with OHL Brampton in 2024-25, then decided to attend Michigan State soon after being drafted by the Flyers. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere told The Athletic at the time that the organization supported Martone’s decision, even though it prevented him from attending training camp in September, where he might have had a chance to make the opening-night lineup.
“We told him we’d be very supportive of whatever the decision would be,” Briere said.
Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong noticed early in the NCAA season that Martone’s skating — thought to be the main part of his game that needed development — was already improving.
“You can tell just playing at the NCAA level and practicing at that higher pace compared to a junior practice, it’s pushing his skating and the pace of his skating, which is something he needed to improve,” Armstrong told The Athletic in October.
Immediately after the Flyers drafted Martone, and before he decided to go the college hockey route in July, Briere strongly indicated the path for Martone to reach the NHL was likely to be a short one. Martone played for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championships with Foerster, Konecny and Travis Sanheim.
“His body, the way he’s built, is a little bigger, thicker guy. … He’s a really good player already. He’s pretty close to being ready,” Briere said.
Now, less than 10 months after drafting him, the Flyers will get to see just how ready Martone is.