The one major question that has been on people’s minds ever since the Philadelphia Flyers selected winger Porter Martone sixth overall at the 2025 NHL Draft last month has been answered. The 18-year-old top prospect will be taking his talents to East Lansing.

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Monday morning, Martone has officially decided where he will be playing hockey next season and that is with the Michigan State Spartans. After spending his last three seasons in the OHL, the Flyers prospect will be utilizing the new NCAA-CHL agreement to head down to play college hockey, an opportunity NHL prospects did not have until just last season.

This means a whole lot of things. Namely, after Martone expressed interest to make the Flyers out of training camp this fall (both after he was drafted and then at Flyers development camp the following week) he will now be unable to do that. And it’s not even just not being able to make his NHL debut this calendar year, but he will not be able to attend Flyers training camp since his college season will be starting before camp even takes place.

But it most certainly avoids an awkward situation developmentally. If Martone signed his entry-level contract, attended training camp, and even played in a couple NHL games but he didn’t look really up to snuff — or even just being fine and keeping his head barely above water — the Flyers would most likely want to send him back down to juniors. Then, Martone is on a Brampton Steelheads team that has lost several of their top scorers and their starting goaltender to either college hockey or graduating out of the junior level.

Ultimately, it feels like the right middle ground to still take on the next level, facing tougher competition, develop his game further, but not be potentially forced to send Martone back to an unfavorable developmental environment.

And, Michigan State specifically seems like a great spot.

The Flyers did just sign center Karsen Dorwart out of that program as an undrafted college free agent last season, and 2025 second-round pick Shane Vansaghi will be Martone’s teammate this fall. The Spartans just lost winger Ike Howard to the Edmonton Oilers after being traded there a couple weeks ago and signing his rookie deal, so now Martone gets to waltz right in and take up a spot at the top of the lineup pretty automatically.

The Flyers top prospect already has the college-level size and more than enough offensive skill, but his pace-of-play will be tested and his ability to keep up his playmaking against stronger opponents and not 17-year-olds from Campbellford, Ontario.

Martone finished his junior career with 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games while captaining the Brampton Steelheads.

Stay tuned with Broad Street Hockey because you know we will be watching every single Michigan State game this upcoming season to watch Martone and Vansaghi just absolutely ruin the lives of some poor college defensemen.