Porter Martone, From Flyers Fan To Flyers Player

As kids, we all dream of one day suiting up for our favorite team one day. The vast majority of us never play pro sports, let alone wear the jersey we once wore as kids. Porter Martone just accomplished both. The Flyers selected lifelong Flyers fan Martone with their 6th overall pick.

On The 97.5 The Fanatic Draft Show, Jason Myrtetus shared his thoughts on the pick.

Porter Martone is not the center you could argue the Flyers needed. But Danny Briere was clear that they would go best player available. Instead of drafting for need, they clearly took the highest guy on their board. Some might say James Hagens should have been higher. But it is hard to deny the Flyers kept their word and took the highest guy on their own draft board.

After being drafted, Porter Malone said he had a Claude Giroux jersey in his basement as a kid. Later, he talked about traveling down to Philly from his hometown in Canada with his dad to see the Flyers.

Now, he will be the guy young fans travel to see. If things go well, it will be his signed jersey hanging on the wall of some kid's basement. Maybe those kids will look at his jersey and one day hope to be drafted by the Flyers like he just did.

Malone helped Team Canada win the silver medal in the 2022 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, scoring 7 goals in 5 assists. A year later, he helped lead Canada to Bronze in the IHF World U18 Championships with 3 goals and 3 assists. In 2024, he finally won gold. On the way to that gold medal, he broke an All-Time Canadian Record with 22 points, surpassing Connor Bedard. He even scored a hat trick on one game.

Now he will go from winning medals for his home country to trying to win a Stanley Cup for his childhood team.