The Philadelphia Flyers’ 2025 Development Camp got officially underway Tuesday morning and we got our first look at what top 2025 selection Porter Martone looks like in Orange and Black on the ice.
Certainly, the most exciting Flyers prospect since Matvei Michkov — it was just two years ago, so it’s not a long time, but you get it — has stepped onto the ice in Voorhees where he will go through some initial drills with his potential future NHL teammates. And the sweater just fits him so well.
🚨 #94 Porter Martone is on the ice ‼️ pic.twitter.com/LSZApg5Cgv
— Travis Ballinghoff (@travieballin26) July 2, 2025
Sporting the No. 94 that he has worn with the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads and will most likely carry into the NHL, whenever that happens, Martone just has the energy of someone a class above some of the other players on the ice. There are going to be (hopefully) very good NHL players on the ice, but we know what level Martone could reach and there is just a guttural feeling you get when watching his first strides in a Flyers sweater.
Thankfully, we also get a second angle of Martone participating in a drill where he shows off some of his backward skating.
2025 sixth overall pick Porter Martone. pic.twitter.com/23REG3s3Bj
— Charlie O'Connor (@charlieo_conn) July 2, 2025
That’s the stuff. Eighteen-year-old prospects casually working through drills for the first time in front of an NHL coaching staff, shot from a beat reporter’s phone in July. There’s nothing like it.
While top-10 selections always say that they are aiming to make their NHL team out of training camp, Martone might actually have a leg up on previous prospects who are still a few years away. Martone is already a little bit older for this past draft class, and is actually just a few months younger than fellow Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko, despite being part of different drafts. So, age is not really a concern, and the Flyers wouldn’t necessarily be throwing out someone who just turned 18 years old (like they did last season).
Martone also plays a physically mature (and is physically mature) game. His hockey smarts has carried him so incredibly far in his career and while he needs work on skating, that can be done at any level he plays at.
And considering that the Flyers just lost winger Tyson Foerster for potentially a good chunk of time to start the season due to an infection in his elbow, that opens up a roster spot that Martone will be competing with the likes of Alex Bump and Nikita Grebenkin for. The 2025 first-round pick certainly has a path to make it.
Overall, where Martone plans on playing next season is incredibly interesting. He was rumored to utilize the new NCAA-CHL rule and head to college hockey and was further rumored to be committing to Penn State, to join Steelheads teammate Luke Misa and fellow 2025 prospect Jackson Smith, but now that is not so certain. At draft weekend, Martone specified that he wants to make the Flyers for the 2025-26 season. If he has those goals, then he wouldn’t be able to head to college. One way his plans would become clear is whether or not he signs with the Flyers since once he puts pen to paper on that NHL entry-level contract, college hockey is out of the question and it will either be the Steelheads or the Flyers that have Martone on their roster next season.
Either way, that’s a future decision. Now, it’s just great to see him on the ice in Flyers colors.
