Porter Martone Has Already Written Himself Into Flyers History, 11 Games In
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers right wing Porter Martone (94) celebrates his goal with the Flyers bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
In the second intermission of Game 2, PK Subban on ESPN confirmed a nickname that has seemed to have been brewing in the Flyers locker room for a few weeks now. Flyers rookie sensation, Porter Martone, confirmed that his Flyers teammates have dubbed him “Marty McFlyer”, and in Game 2, there is no need for a DeLorean to see the future clearly in Philadelphia. Martone is absolutely the answer that Flyers fans have hoped for.
The fact that he was a sixth pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft may go down as one of the greatest gifts that a franchise has received in recent memory. Thinking back to watching the face of Daniel Briere when Nashville selected Brady Martin fifth, and the normally stoic Briere looked excited knowing he got his guy, should have been a tip-off to what they saw in him. Yes, the Flyers have a log jam at winger, yes, Martone already said he was going to Michigan State to play, but he was still the target for the Flyers, and in Game 2, we saw exactly why.
In a pressure-packed situation that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s generally experience that brings calm to a player and ultimately to a team, but don’t tell Martone that. In his second playoff game, Martone became only the 12th player in NHL history to score two points in his first two playoff games. He’s sharing the ice with one of the most recent players to do this feat, Sidney Crosby. In this game, he did something that nobody has ever done; he is the first teenager to score two game-winning goals in his first two games.
Martone’s impact on the Flyers is so much deeper than just his goal scoring. He plays the perfect style for a Rick Tocchet team; he plays solid defense, checks hard, and gets under the skin of the opposing team. Game 2 showed that he possesses not just creativity, but also the talent to take advantage of that creativity. This is exactly what happened in the first goal of Game 2. He won the wall battle, to dig the puck out to Christian Dvorak, then skated to the point to draw the defenseman away. As soon as the defenseman looked at Travis Konecny going toward the net with the puck, Martone sprinted forward and buried the puck off a beautiful pass from Konecny to score the game’s first goal.
After the game, he was asked about how important the physical aspect was to him in making the jump from college hockey to the NHL. He emphasised just how important those wall battles were to his development.
“Coming here that’s really something they emphasized too and something I worked on a lot this year and that’s how you create offense,” he said. “That’s how you keep pucks out of your net is winning those walls.”
While his scoring will get the attention, it’s truly his attention to every detail of the game that is opening eyes.
Another thing that stands out with Martone, which seems to be a prerequisite for all young players coming up with the Flyers, is a humility that values the locker room over individual success.
“I’ve said this before, but I think I made the jump because I thought I was ready and I thought I could come help this team,” Martone said. “They did a lot this year, they went through a lot of ups and downs, and when I came here, they’re really rolling. So, I kind of hopped onto a moving train and, it’s been good ever since. But I think there’s a lot of work still to be done.”
With “Marty McFlyer” on the roster, where the Flyers are going, they don’t need roads. Though they do need passing lanes, and creativity, and if this tip of the iceberg we’ve seen of this budding star is any indication, the future doesn’t have flying cars, but has a sustainable hockey team that looks to have its final piece in place to compete.
Flyers fans asked for their superstar player, and he’s wearing No. 94, and growing into that role before everyone’s eyes on a national stage. The future has finally arrived in Philly, and it looks pretty bright.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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