Flyers’ Forward Travis Konecny has repeatedly spoken highly of Porter Martone, both before and after the Flyers drafted him.They were teammates for Team Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship (and were even linemates in some pre-tournament action). After that experience, Konecny strongly advocated for the Flyers to select the then-prospect.
Konecny told General Manager Danny Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones that Martone “Was going to be a good player” and that he “Wanted them to draft him.” He has also said variations of “I wanted him to be a Flyer right when I left there… I loved him” and praised Martone’s talent, competitiveness, willingness to learn, and pro-ready mindset (noting intangibles that are hard to evaluate before a draft).
The Flyers selected Martone sixth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Konecny and fellow Flyer Travis Sanheim (also a teammate at the Worlds) pushed for the pick and were excited when it happened.After Martone signed his entry-level contract in late March 2026, joined the team, and made an immediate impact (10 points in 9 regular-season games, plus strong playoff contributions including game-winners), Konecny continued the praise. Examples include calling him special/high-talent, noting he plays a simplified, low-risk game that creates opportunities, describing him as “kind of above his years,” and emphasizing how quickly he learns and contributes.
Yesterday, Konecny said: “The sky is the limit for Marty. He came in and made an impact right away. We will see where it goes, it seems very positive. He’s seems to have a knack for the net, and not everyone has that.”
Martone has also credited Konecny (and others) with helping his adjustment, and the two have shown chemistry on the ice. Konecny’s endorsement stands out as a veteran player’s strong, consistent support for a highly touted young teammate.
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