Martone ready for spotlight in first full NHL season with Flyers

Porter Martone understands just how bright the spotlight is shining on him as his first full NHL season beckons.

The 19-year-old forward had 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his first nine NHL games last season to spark the Philadelphia Flyers to their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in five seasons, then became the first teenager in League history to score the game-winning goal in his first two postseason games.

He's a preseason Calder Trophy candidate, expected to help improve a power play that was last in the NHL last season, and was voted No. 2 in NHL.com's top 26 prospects for the 2026-27 season.

But Martone doesn't just appreciate the pressure. He relishes it and embraces it.

"I think when you have chatter around you, it puts pressure on you," he said. "But that's something that I love, and it's always been something that I've loved ever since I was a kid. I like the high-pressure moments, high-pressure situations."

Martone has a knack for thriving in big spots, whether it was as a 17-year-old captain of his Ontario Hockey League team in 2024-25, his NHL draft season, leading Michigan State University in goals and points as an 18-year-old freshman last season, or tying for the lead in goals as Canada's captain at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.

But to jump into the middle of the Flyers' playoff push?

"I didn't know a ton about his game," forward Trevor Zegras said. "Obviously I watched him at the World Juniors and watched the tail end of the college season just because we knew he was coming. So I didn't really know what to expect and to what extent, and he blew away everything I thought he could be."

In his first game against the Washington Capitals on March 31, he had a Flyers-high five shots on a goal in a 6-4 loss.

In his second game against the Detroit Red Wings two days later, he got his first NHL point (an assist) and had nine shots on goal, a single-game NHL rookie high last season. 

His 32 shots on goal in the final 10 games of the season led the Flyers, and he had at least a point in his final six regular-season games (four goals, five assists).

"If I didn't think I'd be able to make an impact on the Flyers and help them win those games, I would have went back to Michigan State for another year," Martone said. 

The impact was seismic.

"He was almost like our deadline trade in a way," Zegras said.

Martone finished his season with five points (one goal, four assists) in 10 games for Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, then took about two weeks off before he started focusing on this season.

At the top of that list is continuing to improve his skating and quickness, including work at Flyers development camp at the end of June.

"I feel like he knows it's not a strong suit of his, and he works at it," Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong said. "Even during development camp, he was on the ice ... I think he took one or two skill sessions off, but he was out there for every single time we did power skating, and he understands he needs to keep improving that each day. And that's something that, for him moving forward is going to be big. But he definitely took huge strides."

Martone said he felt quicker on his skates during development camp compared to a year prior, but understands even more work is needed.

"I think that's something you could always get better at, but I think I've made huge strides from where I've been since I got drafted last summer to where I am now," he said. "I think it's something that I've really worked on, and I could see a difference throughout the season last year, and coming into this season how I kind of got that extra jump and a bit more powerful. But that's something I'm going to continue to keep on working because for me, I think I'm never at my best, and I can always keep getting better, and that's something I'll continue to work on every day."

He also worked on smaller details of the game as well, knowing how much it'll be needed during an 84-game regular season, and beyond.

"Some nights it might not look like you're firing on all cylinders, but it's kind of just the plays you make and the little things you do away from the puck," he said. "If you can keep that consistent, I think you can be successful. That's something that I've worked on, whether it's wall play, protecting the puck, winning battles, making good defensive plays, and I think that kind of leads and translates to offensive success, and I think that's something that I need to do to continue to keep being successful and be a key contributor on this team."

It's that combination of skillset and mindset that has Martone's teammates excited for what's to come.

"There are going to be ups and downs, but based on his personality, based on what we saw last year, he can handle it," defenseman Jamie Drysdale said. "He's a heck of a player. He has that knack."

NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report