Source: Flyers to sign top prospect Porter Martone to NHL contract on Sunday
The 19-year-old Martone, who was one of the most dominant players in college hockey this season as a freshman at Michigan State, could make his NHL debut as soon as Tuesday in Washington.
Sitting on a Zoom call with The Inquirer in December, Porter Martone was excited for the chance to wear a Flyers jersey in the future.
“Obviously, when you watch them, you just kind of can’t wait till you’re there, and you want to help them any way you can,” he said.
“Definitely, watching the games, you dream of that day when you do get to play your first NHL game and join the Philadelphia Flyers. So when that day comes, I’ll be super excited.”
The future is now.
After Martone’s Michigan State team lost in the second round of the NCAA men’s hockey tournament to Wisconsin on Saturday, the Flyers moved quickly to sign their top prospect to a three-year, entry-level contract. A source told The Inquirer that a deal is expected to be signed and finalized by Sunday afternoon. The winger from Peterborough, Ontario, could debut for the Flyers as soon as Tuesday in Washington.
» READ MORE: Top prospect Porter Martone ‘can’t wait’ to play for the Flyers. But first, he has other business to take care of
Selected sixth overall by the Flyers in the 2025 NHL draft, Martone lit up college hockey this season. Across 35 games with Michigan State, the winger tallied 25 goals, 50 points, and 78 penalty minutes, and showed off his quick, accurate shot, a high hockey IQ, some grittiness and abrasiveness, and the ability to not just drive to the net with his big 6-foot-3, 210-pound body, but plant himself there.
“Yeah, I think that’s kind of where I thrive, below the hash marks and in front of the net,” Martone said during the last weekend in January when he posted six points in two games against Penn State.
“I think that’s kind of what Coach [Adam] Nightingale has really focused on with me this year, is really protecting the puck, holding onto pucks, and still being able to make the plays with the high hockey IQ I have. So, that’s something that I’ve worked on lots, and I’ve noticed a big difference throughout the season.”
Entering Saturday, his 1.44 points per game ranked fourth in the nation. He was tied for third in goals, ranked sixth in points — despite playing fewer games than everyone above him — was tied for eighth in power-play goals (eight), and was tied for third in game-winners (six).
The Spartans entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 3 overall seed and were widely expected to reach the Frozen Four for the first time since 2007. Martone’s Michigan State teammate Shane Vansaghi, a second-round pick of the Flyers last June, could also elect to turn pro and sign with the organization in the coming days.
» READ MORE: Flyers top 20 prospects: Porter Martone is No. 1, but where do Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko rank?
“Love having him,” Nightingale said of Martone. “He’s a great teammate, a bit of a throwback player-wise. But I was talking to him the other day, I think one of his best qualities is [that] he wants to be coached. Especially when you’re that high of a pick, that’s something you’ve got to always make sure you have, right?
“He was drafted to eventually go help Philly win hockey games, but also be a guy who wants to do it the right way. So he’s done a great job in the weight room, transforming his body, and I think you’re seeing it on the ice.”
Martone, 19, also served as the captain for Canada’s bronze-medal-winning squad at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship. He had some flashpoint moments — he was issued a warning by the IIHF for his unsportsmanlike actions during the tournament opener against Czechia — but did not wilt under the pressure of leading Canada’s squad and collected six goals and nine points in seven games.
Before enrolling at Michigan State, Martone played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League, mostly with the Brampton/Mississauga Steelheads. In his last season of Canadian junior, he tallied 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games to finish seventh in OHL scoring.
And now his sights are set on scoring on the game’s biggest stage. The Flyers, who are three points out of a playoff spot entering Sunday’s game vs. the Dallas Stars (7 p.m., NBCSP), will have nine games remaining in the regular season after Sunday night. The Flyers’ next game at Xfinity Mobile Arena, and Martone’s potential home debut, is Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m., NBCSP).
“It is cool to see the support of the fan base,” he said in December when it was noted how Philly was waiting on pins and needles for him.
“I know the Flyers fans are very passionate. … I can’t wait to play in front of them.”