When the Philadelphia Flyers selected Porter Martone at sixth overall of the 2025 NHL Draft several months ago, there was excitement in the air. Dreams of the next great power forward calling Philadelphia home felt like a match made in heaven. While fans feel the palpable electricity at the thought of Martone being a Flyer, it also goes the other way.

Martone appeared on the most recent episode of the Empty Netters podcast to go over his journey from being traded as a 16-year-old in the OHL all the way through his Draft experience, and then joining the powerhouse Michigan State Spartans where he’s leading that offense as one of the best freshmen in college hockey right now.

But it wasn’t just about what’s going on now, the 19-year-old winger touched on what it meant to be drafted by the Flyers and what he sees in the team right now. And unsurprisingly, he’s paying a whole lot of attention to what’s going on in his future home.

Martone talks about the Flyers, watching them this season

“I know the culture there is, I think, it’s next to none and they all get along really well. They got a young group that you know is coming up and it’s pretty special,” Martone said. “I still watch the games every night and you see what Zegras is doing right now, it’s pretty cool. I think this can continue to grow throughout the year.”

The thought of Martone joining the Flyers’ burgeoning core to really solidify a potential high-end threat offensively is something that could last us for multiple years, but we probably don’t need to wait that long. Martone could very well — is it too far of a stretch to say that most are expecting him to? — sign with the Flyers as soon as his college season ends and joins the team for whenever that is in the season.

And specifically for the Flyers, Martone is excited to be a part of this team.

When speaking about if it’s kind of a benefit if a player goes lower in the draft than expected, since they’re not joining a team in a full, teardown rebuild, Martone specifically said that he’s beyond happy to be selected by the Flyers. Not only because they were his team growing up and that he has multiple jerseys hanging in the closet of his childhood bedroom back in Peterborough, Ont. but because of how close he thinks they are to taking that next step and regularly competing for the playoffs.

“It’s weird to say if you fall, because you don’t really know every team’s lists and everything, but when the Flyers were there at six and when you do fall down there, it’s like year, they’re close. Who knows? Maybe they make the playoffs this year,” Martone said. “They’re in the middle of a rebuild. They got some of the pieces who are a bit older now, so it’s cool to kind of be close to contending for the playoffs. Because that’s what you dream of, winning the Stanley Cup.

“I think they’re getting close and they got a good group to do it.”

Well, Martone joining this team and potentially reaching the ceiling of the type of player he can be in the NHL, would certainly get this Flyers team a whole lot closer. But for now, his focus is on Michigan State and potentially winning his own national championship title for East Lansing.

On his decision to go NCAA route and join Michigan State

Martone could easily be playing for the Flyers this season. There is enough talent around him to insulate any potential rookie mistakes, but he is physically mature enough to handle this league already. But instead of deciding to test the waters and be in the best league on the planet as soon as possible, Martone took the patient approach and decided to focus on his long-term development.

The 19-year-old prospect dives further into his decision to play in the NCAA.

“That was a crazy week, because you get drafted and for me, my goal this year was to play in the NHL. I want to go there. I want to, you know, I’m not going to be given anything but I want to go fight for a spot at training camp. But you can’t do that if you’re going to come to college. So, I remember, after development camp, I sat down with my agent, my family, and the Flyers were great. They were very supportive, and they talked about what they thought was best for me,” Martone said.

“But at the end of the day, I think my decision to come to college came down to what’s going to make me the best player in five years when I’m in my prime and trying to help this Flyers team win a Stanley Cup. And I think that was to come to college and practicing four to five times a week. And I’ve been here for three months, and I’ve noticed such a huge difference. It’s been amazing.”

Maybe the best words Martone could string together in any interview before he joins this team is about eventually helping the Flyers win their first Stanley Cup in over 50 years.

Martone not only plays a mature game on the ice at just 19 years old, but to think about what type of player he’s like when he wants to hit the typical peak at 25 or 26 years old and how taking the longer path to eventually making his NHL debut could extend or even heighten that peak, is far beyond his actual age.

As for what he’s currently dealing with and how he’s progressing, Martone already has confirmation that he made the right decision.

“I’m getting used to it weekend by weekend. It’s fast-paced, it’s hard-checking, they close in on you, and you don’t have a lot of time. So, I think it’s great to get you ready for the pro game.”

Through his first eight games in the NCAA, Martone has scored four goals and 11 points, leading the Spartans in scoring and in historic fashion. In the last 10 years, there have been only six other Draft+1 players scoring at a higher rate than Martone is right now and they’re all either high-end NHLers or were all playing together on the same line in college to rack up the points. We’re talking about Will Smith, Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Ryan Leonard, Dylan Holloway, and Gabe Perreault. Not bad company to be in and as the season goes on, Martone could certainly climb that list.

There is no telling what Martone’s true potential is but beyond what he puts on the score sheet, he is a truly impressive prospect and is beyond excited about joining the Flyers — which in of itself is incredible.