A significant trend continues as another promising junior hockey talent, Porter Martone, opts for the U.S. collegiate route. Martone, the Philadelphia Flyers` sixth overall selection in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft, confirmed via an Instagram announcement on Monday his decision to join the Michigan State University Spartans, an NCAA Division I program, for the next hockey season.
Hailing from Peterborough, Ontario, the 18-year-old forward served as captain for the Ontario Hockey League`s Brampton Steelheads last season, showcasing his offensive prowess with an impressive 37 goals and 61 assists in 57 games.
Martone`s move to a U.S. college program is part of a growing wave of top major junior players choosing to pursue their development south of the border. This group includes Gavin McKenna, the standout from the Medicine Hat Tigers, widely projected as the likely first overall pick in next year`s NHL draft. McKenna recently committed to Penn State University, following a remarkable season where he was named the Canadian Hockey League`s player of the year and led the Western Hockey League`s Red Deer Rebels to the Memorial Cup final.
This shift in player pathways was enabled by the NCAA`s decision in November to lift a long-standing prohibition, allowing Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players to enroll and compete at U.S. colleges beginning with the upcoming season.
