For the first time since 2019-20, the Philadelphia Flyers are headed to the NHL Playoffs. The Flyers needed some help getting there, and they got it in the form of Michigan State rookie Porter Martone.
The rookie wing just watched his Michigan State career come to an abrupt end a couple of weeks ago with a devastating 4-3 loss to Wisconsin in overtime after holding a 3-1 lead in the third. Martone did everything he could to lead the Spartans to their first Frozen Four in nearly two decades but it just wasn’t enough.
Shortly after that loss to Wisconsin, Martone signed a deal with the Flyers, joining the franchise for their playoff push just days after being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament.
The one year that Michigan State fans got to experience with Martone was a fun one as he helped lead the Spartans to a third straight Big Ten title, but he’s already proving that he’s going to be sorely missed next year, becoming one of the driving forces behind the Flyers’ first playoff berth in six years
Less than a month after being eliminated from NCAA hockey’s postseason tournament, Martone is going to be playing in the NHL Playoffs with the Flyers.
And he’s one of the hottest rookies in the NHL right now.
In eight NHL games, Martone has five assists and three goals, accounting for eight points. He was one of the main reasons the Flyers were able to sneak into the playoffs thanks to five wins in the final six games. In that stretch, Martone had seven points. It seems like he’s gotten a hang of this NHL thing.
Porter Martone poised to become MSU’s next NHL star
Adam Nightingale probably isn’t thrilled about losing Martone, but after a Hobey Baker-contending freshman season, it’s not that surprising that he opted to sign an NHL contract.
Clearly it was the right choice. Martone is one of the hottest players on a red-hot Flyers team that needed to scrap its way into the NHL Playoffs, and the rookie didn’t shy away from the pressure. He stepped right into his role and excelled immediately. And now he’s going to be a major contributor on an NHL Playoff team for the next couple of weeks — we’ll see if he can lead the Flyers on a deep run.
Michigan State has produced plenty of NHL stars over the years, especially under Nightingale, but Martone looks poised to be the best of the bunch.
He’s already off to a heck of a start, and it’s only been two weeks.
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