Michigan Martone: Flyers top pick commits to Michigan State

Photo Credit: Michael Reaves/Flyers Nitty Gritty

Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone announced his commitment to play NCAA Division I hockey at Michigan State University in a post on social media. The sixth-overall pick in June’s 2025 NHL Draft will join more than a handful of big-name Canadian hockey prospects to make the change to the college ranks next season.

"He's a really good player already, he's pretty close to being ready," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said last month at the draft. "I don't know that it's going to be the right thing to play him [in the NHL] this year, in the upcoming season, but we'll see.”

With the new rule instituted by the NCAA in November 2024, players in the three Canadian Hockey Leagues - the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, the Ontario Hockey League, and the Western Hockey League - will be permitted to play in the NCAA starting August 1, 2025.

Prior to the rule change, CHL players were viewed as professionals and were not allowed to compete in the NCAA due to its amateurism rules. Five players were selected from NCAA programs during the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft in late June, while 21 players, including the first two picks of the first round, were chosen from teams in the CHL. That number will likely change due to the new rules, with some of the prospects drafted out of the CHL this year already committing to play for NCAA programs next season.

Martone captained the Brampton Steelheads of the OHL during the 2024-25 season, scoring 37 goals and finishing with 98 points. He added four goals and five assists in six playoff games. The 18-year-old has been a career-OHL player. Martone played for the Mississauga Steelheads - later relocating to Brampton - in 2023-24, notching 71 points. He spent time between the Steelheads and Sarnia Sting the season before.

Since being drafted, the talk around Martone has been about where he’d play next year. Many scouts, including the Flyers’ front office, feel that Martone is the closest NHL-ready prospect taken in Round 1. He could also go back to the Steelheads for another season in juniors. The final option, one that teams are still getting accustomed to, is the college hockey route.

Martone made his goals clear during Flyers development camp in early July, but trusts the organization has his best interests in mind.

"For me, my mindset is to make the NHL next year,” said Porter Martone at development camp. “If management feels otherwise, that’s when I’ll talk to my agent. I want to play a full NHL season next year. When you come into camp, you have to earn it.”

“Martone obviously has all kinds of offers,” said Brent Flahr, Flyers assistant general manager.

“He wants to play in the NHL and that’s a discussion we’ll have with his agent. As much as we want him to play, we have to make sure we do what’s best for him. We’ll figure that out in the coming weeks and see what he wants to do, and go from there.”

Over the past few weeks, that decision between the Flyers, Martone, and his agent was made, prompting Martone to announce his commitment to Michigan State on Monday, July 21. Martone reportedly had an offer from Penn State, which would have seen him stay in state and play with the projected first-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, Gavin McKenna, who committed to Penn State earlier this month.

While Martone, Briere, or Flahr have not talked publicly yet about the decision, perhaps it has something to do with how they handled Jett Luchanko, the Flyers’ first-round pick in 2024.

Luchanko, who was taken 13th overall, signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers last July. Unfortunately for Luchanko and the Flyers, the rule allowing CHL players to transfer to the NCAA was not yet established. After impressing during development camp, training camp, and preseason, the center made the Opening Night roster. Luchanko played four NHL games before being sent back to the Guelph Storm in the OHL to better his development. After posting 56 points in 46 games as the captain of the Storm, Luchanko joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate, for their playoff push.

Luchanko dominated on a bad Storm team and likely would have received better development playing against bigger and older competition in the NCAA. Due to his age, 19, and the fact that he already signed his entry-level contract in the NHL, Luchanko can only play in the NHL or OHL next season. There are no guarantees the London, Ontario, Canada, native makes the Flyers next season.

Not signing Martone to his entry-level contract and allowing him to play a year in college will help the Flyers avoid another Luchanko situation. While Martone will not be able to participate in training camp or preseason, he will be eligible to sign his first NHL contract at the end of the college season, potentially permitting Martone to make his NHL debut during the last few weeks of the 2025-26 season. The decision to go the college hockey route will also allow Martone to play in the AHL, if the Flyers feel he needs more professional experience before joining the big club.

If Martone signed his entry-level contract at the end of his first season with Michigan State, he would lose all college hockey eligibility. With how scouts and the Flyers view Martone as an NHL prospect, he will likely only need one season of college hockey before he turns pro.

"If there's one thing I would say is, in this draft and in the first round, he's pretty close to being the most ready out of that group,” Briere said after the draft. “To be able to select him at No. 6 for us was, I wouldn't say a steal, but we had him higher on our board with the talent."

Martone already has experience playing with NHLers, including some of his new Flyers teammates. The Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, native was named to the Team Canada roster for the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May. Martone was the only non-NHLer to make the team, getting to play with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. He was also teammates with a few guys he will soon be sharing the ice with in Philadelphia: Forwards Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny, and defenseman Travis Sanheim.

The 6-foot-3, 208-pound right-handed power forward will get to use his experience playing with and against NHLers in the World Championship during his time at Michigan State. The competition in college hockey is more physical and older than in the OHL.

Martone will join Flyers teammate Shane Vansaghi in the Spartan green and white next season. Vansaghi was selected in the second round (48th overall) by the Flyers in June. The physical winger had 15 points in 40 games during his freshman year at Michigan State. Former Michigan State forward Karsen Dorwart signed a two-year entry-level deal with the Flyers in late March, playing five games for the team. Dorwart had 92 points in three years at Michigan State.

Michigan State has won back-to-back BIG 10 regular-season and tournament titles, but lost in the NCAA regional round both seasons. Martone will be the ninth player on Michigan State’s 2025-26 roster to have been drafted in the first two rounds of the NHL Draft.