Martone: "I believe I was meant to be a Flyer"

Porter Martone believes that he was born to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.

The 6-foot-3 top prospect was drafted sixth overall by the Flyers in the 2025 NHL Draft last week and thinks he couldn't have landed in a better situation.

"I couldn't be happier where I went and with the organization I went to," Martone told TSN1050's First Up on Wednesday. "It was pretty amazing and cool when [NBA legend] Charles Barkley went up on the screen and announced the pick. When I heard my name, I almost went into shock for a bit. But it was cool to celebrate with my parents.

"My game can fit the Flyers' mould and I believe I was meant to be a Flyer."

The 18-year-old winger was one of the top players in the Ontario Hockey League last season, finishing tied for seventh in league scoring with 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games.

Martone's offence is highly desirable but it's his physical style of play is what makes him fit into the Flyers mould so perfectly. The Flyers have historically been known as a big, strong, and tough team that can't be pushed around and those are qualities that Martone has shown in spades throughout his young hockey career.

TSN's Director of Scouting Craig Button compares Martone to the likes of star agitators Corey Perry, Brady Tkachuk, and Matthew Tkachuk, with his competitive edge and gamesmanship.

The style of play doesn't necessarily allow Martone to make friends on the ice, but that is the way he likes it.

"I wouldn't say that I'm too friendly. I definitely have an agitating style of play," said Martone. "But that's just who I am. I'm a competitor who wants to win every night. I play a little pesky game and the people who see me off the ice wouldn't recognize me on the ice."

Martone has been one of the busiest prospects throughout the 2024-25 campaign. He ended the 2024 season by captaining Team Canada at the Under-18 World Championship, leading his country to a gold medal.

To begin this season, Martone was named captain of the Canadian Hockey League team at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November, taking the series in a two-game sweep over the Under-18 United States National Development Program Team.

He was then invited to Team Canada's selection camp for the 2025 World Juniors in Ottawa in December where he proceeded to make the team. He scored a goal in three games as Canada finished in fifth place.

Martone also joined Canada to play at the World Championship in Sweden and Denmark during in May, getting his first taste of playing with and against NHL talent. The Peterborough, Ont., native appeared in two games in the tournament as Canada also finished in fifth place.

Martone also captained the Brampton Steelheads to a 36-22-10 record to finish in fifth place in the OHL's Eastern Conference.

With all the ups and downs of his NHL Draft season and all the extra hockey that he's played, Martone has only had one focus, which is to be better every day.

"When I get to play in all those events, it's always a pleasure and an honour," said Martone. "There are ups and downs in your draft year, just like any other year, but the big thing for me was to focus on the process and focus on getting better on different things.

"That's what I was trying to strive for every day, to just go to the rink and get better, and I also wanted to make the person playing beside me better as well."

The Flyers missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season, finishing last in the Metropolitan Division with a 33-39-10 record. The team has been in the midst of a rebuild that has seen core pieces like Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, and Sean Couturier be surrounded by secondary scoring from young players like Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, Bobby Brink, and Noah Cates, along with Travis Sanheim leading the way on the blueline.

Philadelphia has also been active in the off-season, added skilled centre Trevor Zegras from the Anaheim Ducks and signing forward Christian Dvorak and defencemen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert in the free-agent market.

After playing with Sanheim, Konecny, and Forester with Canada at the world championship, Martone saw the camaraderie that those players had with each other and how much they loved their organization.

That has only helped his excitement for his new club and wants to produce to get the team where it wants to be.

"I can just tell it's just a first-class organization," said Martone. "The Flyers are known as that, and everyone wants to be a Flyer. I got to see during the world championship how the Flyers' players were close to each other. It's a great city, the fans are really passionate, and the facilities are just unbelievable."