Martone to make NHL debut with Flyers against Capitals

WASHINGTON -- Porter Martone will jump directly into the Stanley Cup Playoff race with the Philadelphia Flyers when he makes his NHL debut against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NBCSP).

"It's awesome," the 19-year-old forward said after the Flyers morning skate. "You dream of this since you were a little kid and now that the day is finally here. I'm really excited and just trying to do anything to help the team win."

Martone, the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, signed a three-year, entry-level contract Sunday, after his college season with Michigan State ended with a 4-3 overtime loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

The Flyers considered having Martone make his NHL debut at home against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, but ultimately decided there was no need to wait with every game so important at this stage of the season.

Philadelphia (37-24-12) trails the Columbus Blue Jackets by two points for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference with nine games remaining.

"We had a good debate about it and you just kind of weigh it on the table and you decide, 'Hey, let's get him right in,'" Flyers coach Rick Tocchet said. "Why not? He's played in some big games this year. Why not get him in right away?"

Martone will add another element of offensive skill to the Flyers lineup after he led Michigan State with 25 goals and 50 points in 35 games as a freshman. Martone also helped Canada win the bronze medal at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship with a tournament-high six goals in seven games.

Tocchet plans to start him at right wing on a line with left wing Travis Konecny and center Christian Dvorak.

"I think (Dvorak) and 'TK' are veteran guys," Tocchet said. "Those guys are good at staying close together. That's something we were talking about. It's a good fit for him, I think. We'll see how it goes."

Martone also is expected to get some time on the power play. He worked on the first power-play unit during the morning skate. Tocchet said how much Martone plays will depend on how he plays and how the game goes, but he wants to put Martone in situations where he can be comfortable and succeed.

"He's a hockey player; just play," Tocchet said. "We don't want to overload him. He actually worked on the power play, and he had some good intelligence out there, so just let him play, have some fun."

Martone said he will have family, including his parents, sister and both sets of grandparents, in attendance. So far, he isn't feeling too nervous.

"There’s obviously a little bit of nerves," he said. "I think that's a good thing too. Just turn that into excitement, and honestly, go play my game."

Martone was born in Peterborough, Ontario, but grew up rooting for the Flyers, and one of his favorite childhood photos is him with former Philadelphia forward Wayne Simmonds when his youth hockey team visited the Flyers' practice facility.

After getting drafted by Philadelphia last June, making his NHL debut with them will be the next step in his childhood dream coming true.

"I had a Flyers jersey and everything all over my house, and getting to go to a game (in Philadelphia) is pretty cool," he said. "Then when you get drafted to the Flyers, it kind of sinks in that you were a Flyers fan growing up and then you get drafted by that team. Now you're playing your first game, and everything clicks together."

Facing the Capitals in his first game means playing against Alex Ovechkin, the NHL record holder with 926 goals. Martone watched Ovechkin play on television when he was younger, never imagining he'd make his NHL debut in a game against him.

"That will be cool," Martone said. "When you're a kid and you're watching him score those goals and win the Stanley Cup, you maybe never think you'll play against him and to have that be your first game is going to be pretty cool."