Rookie Porter Martone, 19, is having a breakout playoff series against the Penguins. Sean Couturier can relate.
While Martone is a rare example of a teenager thriving in the playoffs, his captain did it against Sidney Crosby and Co. back in 2012.
Porter Martone was only 5 years old when the Flyers played the Penguins in the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals, but lately, he’s been seeing clips from that series quite often.
One clip, in particular. It was Game 2 in Pittsburgh. The Penguins were stacked with many of the same stars they have today — Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Evgeni Malkin — but the Flyers had an emerging one, a 19-year-old phenom who quickly proved he belonged.
Against a fierce interstate rival, the lanky teenager scored not one, not two, but three goals past netminder Marc-André Fleury, and added an assist for a four-point night.
His name? Sean Couturier.
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“It’s pretty crazy,” Martone said. “Being on the same team as him, and he’s your first captain.”
Over a decade later, the Flyers rookie is now accomplishing a comparable feat. At 19 years old, Martone has tallied two goals and three points through three playoff games against Crosby’s Penguins.
Like Couturier did, he’s skating with confidence, unafraid to challenge grizzled veterans, some of whom are 15-20 years older.
There are a few differences. Couturier’s 2012 team was more mature than the Flyers of 2025-26 (Jaromír Jágr was almost 40; Chris Pronger was 37).
And while the teenage Couturier exuded a quiet confidence, Martone’s has been a little more loud (he is not above sticking his tongue out at the Penguins’ bench, for example).
But nevertheless, there are few players who understand what it’s like to be on that stage, at that age, better than the Flyers captain and the Flyers rookie.
“One thing I know with Sean is he never felt like he was an outsider or someone who didn’t belong in the NHL,” said general manager Danny Brière. “In his mind, I think he saw himself as a big contributor. And Porter plays that way, too.”
Living in the moment
Brière has a unique perspective on this.
In 2011-12, he was teammates with Couturier, and invited the budding star to move into his Philadelphia-area home.
The teenager was closer in age to Briére’s three sons than he was to Briére, then 34. But the future Flyers GM quickly realized that Couturier was wise beyond his years.
There was no need to verify that he was paying his bills on time, or reviewing his credit card statements for signs of fraud.
“I remember making sure he had a bank account, his credit card checked for, his phone. Outside of hockey stuff,” Brière said. “And he was on top of everything.”
Even away from the rink, the two players talked about hockey constantly. Living with three high-energy teenage boys only amplified this trend. Couturier became something akin to a live-in brother.
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He’d play NHL video games with Brière’s sons, ball hockey out in the driveway, and knee hockey in the basement. They’d watch more hockey at night, with the future GM pointing out certain players and strategic systems.
But Couturier said they also talked about the playoffs; what the arena would look and feel like, and how to stay in the moment.
“He just prepared me as much as he could with all the outside noise,” Couturier said. “The city getting excited, how loud the building gets, how the fans get passionate and crazy. When you get a little sense of what to expect before hand, it obviously helps.”
It’s unclear if Martone has someone in the Flyers organization checking to see if he pays rent the first of every month, or better yet, a teammate to move in with next season. But even after just 12 games with the Flyers, he’s already learned from Couturier.
The rookie right winger rattled off a couple of examples — the captain’s poise, and ability to contribute in almost every conceivable way — but also a more tactical one, that he’s folded into his game.
“One thing is just how good he is on the walls,” Martone said. “I know he plays center, but how good he is at winning puck battles on the walls and picking up rims.
“That’s something that I try to work on, and I see him after practice, working on it. So, just being able to watch him on a daily basis has been huge.”
Much has been made of the Flyers’ youth and relative inexperience, especially against a team with four future Hall of Famers. But neither Brière nor Couturier see that as a detriment.
Especially not in the case of Martone.
“He’s been great,” Couturier said of the rookie. “He’s a mature kid, that knows the game really well. He’s responsible on both sides of the puck. Really, there’s not much to tell him.
“You just want to make sure he stays in the moment, and not think too far ahead. It’s all about the moment. And I’m sure he’s enjoying it.”
