Michigan State missed out on a lot of talent when Gavin McKenna chose Penn State and Isaac Howard turned pro. On Monday, the Spartans made up for it with the commitment of a top NHL prospect.Porter Martone, a right wing who went sixth overall to the Philadelphia Flyers in last month’s draft, announced his pledge to Michigan State via Instagram, confirming earlier reports from NHL insiders.

Martone was part of a crop of CHL players grappling with the decision of whether to chase pro roster spots in training camp or take the college route for another year of development. He opted for the latter, with The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor reporting that Martone and the Flyers were communicative on the decision.

Martone brings a reputation as a power forward with a knack for playmaking, which should translate well as he jumps to the NCAA from the Ontario Hockey League. With the Brampton Steelheads, Martone had 98 points in 57 games while captaining the team as an 18-year-old. A Peterborough, Ontario, native, Martone stands 6-foot-3 and weights 205 pounds entering college, size that should bode well when honed by the Spartans’ well-regarded strength and conditioning staff.With Martone’s commitment, the incoming Michigan State recruiting class includes eight NHL draft picks: 2024’s fourth overall pick, forward Cayden Lindstrom (Columbus), headlines alongside Martone, while 2025 first-round forward Ryker Lee (Nashville) and 2025 second-round forward Eric Nilson (Anaheim) also infuse more top end talent. Forwards Anthony Romani (Vancouver), Austin Baker (Detroit), defenseman Matthew Laney (Toronto) and goaltender Melvin Strahl (Columbus) round out the class.Martone was long connected to the Spartans, but his commitment soon became all but a necessity. Michigan State was in the market to strengthen its roster by chasing McKenna, narrowly missing the phenom in a recruiting battle with Penn State. Then it really needed a scored when Hobey Baker winner Howard signed with the Edmonton Oilers, who traded for his rights from Tampa Bay.Michigan State’s roster will include nine players picked in the NHL draft’s first two rounds, four of them in the first. The Spartans will look to three-peat as Big Ten regular season and tournament champions, a three-year turnaround under head coach Adam Nightingale that brought the Spartans from the basement of the Big Ten to the penthouse. Michigan State’s next step is translating that success into the NCAA Tournament. The Spartans haven’t made it out of the regional rounds of the tournament, including a first-round, 4-3 upset against Cornell back in March despite being the tournament’s second overall seed.cearegood@detroitnews.com@ConnorEaregood

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