From Crosby's leadership to Fleury's prank, Martone soaked up 'surreal' men's Worlds

After New York Islanders centre Bo Horvat sustained a tournament-ending injury at the World Championship, Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone joined Team Canada's roster and became the only draft-eligible player to suit up at the event. 

When Martone initially signed up to join Team Canada at training camp there was no guarantee he would end up playing. The 18-year-old was happy to simply soak up the experience. 

"Any time you get to surround yourself with NHL players and the calibre of players that are there, it's a great experience," Martone said. "It's definitely surreal being able to step on the ice with Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon for the first time."

Martone played in the preliminary-round finale against Sweden and in the quarterfinal loss to Denmark. He also played in both of Canada's pre-tournament games, scoring a goal in an exhibition encounter against Hungary. 

Along the way, Martone learned from Crosby's leadership, MacKinnon's competitiveness, Marc-Andre Fleury's attitude, Ryan O'Reilly's compete, and Kent Johnson's creativity. He also learned something about himself. 

"I realized I could play with those guys," Martone said. "I started the pre-tournament on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Travis Konecny and, at first, there's definitely an adjustment with just being able to keep up with the pace. But once you get used to that, you're playing with really good players, and you're able to gain confidence. When I got into the tournament, I feel like I got better shift by shift."

The experience provided Martone some momentum as he prepares to head to Buffalo for the NHL Scouting Combine next week. 

Martone is expected to be a top pick at next month's NHL draft in Los Angeles. He came in No. 3 in the draft-lottery edition of TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie's prospect rankings. TSN director of scouting Craig Button has Martone going second overall to the San Jose Sharks in his latest mock draft. 

During a conversation with TSN, Martone reflected on his month with Team Canada. The Peterborough, Ont. native shared his takeaways from being around some of Canada's top talent. The following is an edited transcript of the interview. 

TSN: What was your No. 1 pinch-me moment at the World Championship?

Martone: Probably when you're actually on the ice and you're in the drills and you're passing the puck over to Crosby or you're in line rushes with other NHL players. I thought it was pretty cool. These guys were my idols growing up. 

TSN: What was your first conversation with Crosby like?

Martone: He introduced himself and said 'Hi' and everything. It was pretty cool being able to talk to him and meet him and then, while the tournament went on, he just kind of became your teammate. He was very good to me and everyone. You could tell why he's such a good captain in the NHL and why he's such a prestigious hockey player.

TSN: What's one thing he said to you that resonated?

Martone: Before my first game against Sweden, we were walking out of the room and he just told me to be myself out there on the ice and 'Just go play our game.' I thought that was pretty cool with him being one of the best players in the world. Telling me that really gave me a lot of confidence going into that game.

TSN: What stood out about MacKinnon?

Martone: How competitive he is and how much he wants to win and the drive he has. You know he's got all the skill in the world, but he wants to win championships. I think that was pretty cool just to see that firsthand, and how much he competed on the ice. He's a very good guy off the ice as well and just willing to talk to me about different things and teach me a lot of different things.

TSN: What's something that you learned from him?

Martone: The way he prepares himself for games. They treat their body so well and just the way they kind of get prepared for games, you know, it's a lot different than what I've seen in junior. So, I think it was a good experience for me to be able to learn off those guys and how much they put into getting ready for a game day. They have the same routine every day and it was cool to see that.

TSN: What was your best moment?

Martone: I could name so many. We had tons of fun. It's a great group of guys, and just going out for team dinners, just being around the guys, you kind of make friendships with those guys. Maybe, you know, two years ago, three years ago, I never thought I would ever meet all these NHL players but now, you know, I could see them around and be able to say 'Hi.'

TSN: What was your best off-ice story from the Worlds?

Martone: We were at lunch one day and all the guys were kind of quizzing me about older hockey players. I knew some of them, but I didn't know some and they were kind of blown away with how I didn't know these guys. They're quizzing me and some of them I didn't know who they were, and they actually played on Crosby's team and Fleury's team in Pittsburgh when they started their career. And they're like, ‘Holy smokes!’ (Smiles) Yeah.

TSN: Well, you're young. Could you teach them anything as a young guy? Maybe about social media?

Martone: I know a couple of them don't have Instagram or Snapchat, but, yeah, I don't know. It was cool being around them and talking to them. Realistically, they were role models and now you can consider them your friends. 

TSN: Did Fleury get you with a prank?

Martone: Ha, no, not me, but he got a couple guys. I was talking to him and I was like, 'I love how you do that.' He said it went on throughout his hockey career. When he was a rookie, he said it happened to him and he just thought of so many things along the way. A funny one on Adam Fantilli, he sewed the bottom of his pants together so, like, he couldn't put on his pants after a game. I thought it was hilarious. He’s another person who is such a great role model. You can just see how much he loves the game because he's always there, smiling, laughing and chirping. That's another person to look up to and take things from.

TSN: In the OHL Coaches Poll, you came in first in the best shootout shooter category. Anyone catch your eye with their moves at the World Championship? 

Martone: Kent Johnson. He's kind of a shootout specialist. He taught me some other moves so maybe I have to pull them out of the bag next season ... The stuff he was doing in practice, it looked like he was about to almost fall over sometimes, and he would just slide it in. He was teaching me a lot of different things.

TSN: What's the top thing you learned from Johnson when it comes to shootout moves?

Martone: I don't even know. He's just a magician with the puck. He just throws a bunch of head fakes and he just beats the goalie. He's a very good guy. He talked me through his past experiences over there as well.

TSN: What's your go-to move in the shootout? 

Martone: I like to come in slow and then I'd wait for the goalie to try to make the first move and hopefully he would bite on a fake or something and, you know, I think I'd either bring to my backhand or try to shoot back there.

TSN: What do you like about that situation?

Martone: I like the pressure. It's one-on-one with you and the goalie. It's fun for me definitely being an offensive, skilled player. You like to go down and kind of showcase your moves. I think the biggest thing is just kind of being patient when you're going down there. I try to wait for the goalie to make the first move and then kind of see what's open.

TSN: It was a tough ending for Team Canada. What was that Denmark game like?

Martone: They're a good Denmark team and we played them in Denmark. The fans, it was a great atmosphere, and they kind of just hung around. We got up 1-0 but they were just kind of always there and they got two goals late. They worked really hard. They competed and it's a hockey game so anything could change. There could be a different bounce, and we get that win. It was definitely a shock. Definitely from Canada, you always want to win a gold medal. I think it could be a learning experience for everyone, especially for the guys going to the Olympics next year. It could be big for them. And then, for me, if I get another shot at the World Juniors, I could take that back. You're always going to treat every game like it could be the last. 

TSN: What stood out about how the guys reacted to the loss? 

Martone: Seeing the interviews after the game, and even throughout the game, they're always so calm. We didn't panic at all and, you know, we didn't get it done but they handled it with professionalism, and I think that's a big thing. Win or lose, you're always going to be a good professional. I could see in everyone's eyes that it was tough, but they handled it with professionalism. 

TSN: You also experienced a tough quarterfinal loss at the World Juniors. What did you take from that experience? 

Martone: Playing for Team Canada on home soil is a dream. I remember watching World Juniors as a kid every Christmas and being able to be in that spotlight was pretty cool. Obviously, it didn't end the way we wanted it to and that was tough. No one really expects Canada to lose. So, it was tough, but I think I could take those experiences and, if I do get another shot at it next year, I think we can learn from things. We could attack adversity differently ... If I do get another shot and I'm playing in Minnesota, I'd be very determined to win a gold medal.

TSN: Your draft season, at least in terms of games, is done. How would you sum it up? 

Martone: It was really fun. I got to play a full season in the Ontario Hockey League. I got to be a part of the CHL game against the U.S. development team. I got to play at the World Juniors and then I got to end off playing at the men's World Championship. It was pretty jam-packed. I had a lot of games and I think I developed and learned from other people. I developed as a person and as a player throughout the season, and being able to end it off playing in the men's World Championship was pretty cool.

TSN: In which ways do you feel like you're a better player now versus the start of the year?

Martone: I developed more of a complete game. I think a big part of that actually came with the men's Worlds. I realized you're going to get your chances if you’re back checking, you're reloading and you're not diving in, and if you're playing a smart game. I think that's kind of why all those NHL players are so good. They take care of the defensive side of the puck and they compete every shift. O’Reilly talked to me about just winning your battles. I think that's a big thing too. Maybe at the start of the season I wasn't so concentrated on that, but by the time playoffs came around, and when I got to go play at the men's worlds, that was a big thing for me. I focused on winning my battles and focused on playing a good defensive game and then the offensive chances are going to come. I think I became more of a complete player.

TSN: What sort of advice did you get from the Team Canada guys on the draft and upcoming combine? 

Martone: Whether it's talking to Crosby or Fleury or kind of getting to the younger guys in Fantilli and Celebrini, they all have great advice for me. I think the biggest thing is just, 'Be where your feet are.' Draft day only happens once, being at the combine only happens once. They gave me tons of advice.

TSN: Have you spoken to any of your Team Canada teammates since returning home? 

Martone: I still stay in touch with a couple of guys, you know, a couple of the younger guys for sure. It's cool to be able to have those guys in your contacts and if you ever need to reach out to them and ask them a question, I feel like they'd always be willing to help. It was cool to learn from them and create those bonds. 

TSN: What's your focus this summer?  

Martone: I'm going to be in the gym a lot. It's a big summer for me with just trying to fill out my frame a bit more. I want to try to crack my NHL lineup next year.

TSN: Where do you feel like you rank or should be considered in this year's draft class?

Martone: I'm not too sure right now. I think there's lots of good players in this draft ... It’ll be interesting on draft day and where I do end up. Obviously, I want to go as high as I can. I want to be the highest pick I can be, but I think the real work will happen after that.