Porter Martone made his NHL Debut on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, for the Flyers in a road game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.
The 19-year-old Forward (No. 6 overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft out of Michigan State) had just signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Flyers on Sunday, March 29, after his freshman college season ended. He didn’t play in Sunday’s game against Dallas but joined the team and debuted Tuesday night in a high-stakes divisional matchup during the Flyers’ playoff push.
“It’s pretty special. You dream of this as a little kid, You never think it will come true. I remember seeing all these peoples’ rookie laps during games, and now it’s me. That was pretty cool, and it was a dream come true.” – Porter Martone after making his NHL Debut
Martone played about 16:13–16:53 of ice time, led the Flyers with five shots on goal, and posted strong underlying numbers (e.g., 72.18 xGF%). He took a rookie lap before the game and reflected afterward that he “got better as the game went on,” though the Flyers lost 6-4 (or similar final; reports noted they mounted a comeback but fell short). He was lined up with players like Travis Konecny and Christian Dvorak in some shifts.
A young Martone, a Peterborough, Ontario native and former Michigan State standout (50 points in 35 games as a freshman, First Team All-Big Ten), skipped straight from college to the NHL without AHL time. The Flyers considered debuting him at home later in the week but opted for Tuesday given the playoff implications.
Congrats to him on the milestone—sounds like a solid first impression in a tough environment! “As I thought the game wore on, he started come into his own. He had about three or four chances, he’s going to score. You can tell he’s got it,” Flyers’ Head Coach Rick Tocchet said post-game.
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