Flyers’ Porter Martone is impressing at World Championship – is the 2027 Calder Trophy next?
For whatever reason, Canada found itself struggling against Denmark again earlier this week.
The Canadians lost 2-1 to the Danes at the 2025 IIHF Men’s World Championship, with the Danes qualifying for the final four for the first time ever. The Canadians dominated the shot count but ultimately fell when it mattered most.
So when Canada found themselves at a 0-0 standstill after 40 minutes during the team’s third game in 2026, something had to change. That move? Promoting Porter Martone to the top line with Sidney Crosby and Macklin Celebrini.
The result? Martone scored on his first shift and added a secondary assist 11 minutes later. The Philadelphia Flyers forward finished with two points, but the trio combined for eight points total. Martone managed to bring a level of compete and energy that Dylan Cozens didn’t, and it seemingly unlocked the power of Canada’s top two superstars, too.
That’s what Martone does. He’s capable of sparking anyone he plays with, including elite talents. And right now, he’s easily one of Canada’s best players, despite being the least experienced NHLer on the roster.
Martone turned pro following his impressive 50-point freshman season with Michigan State. Nobody would have blamed him if he had started off slowly while adjusting to the faster, more physical play of the NHL. But instead, Martone blew everyone’s expectations away with four goals and 10 points in nine games to help the Flyers advance to the playoffs. He then scored in Philadelphia’s first two playoff games before snagging an assist in his third.
The offense ultimately dried up, with Martone registering just two assists in the second-round fight against Carolina. But the overall performance still proved Martone was the real deal and an early candidate to take home the 2026-27 Calder Trophy.
Martone made headlines this season as one of the most high-profile prospects to transition from the CHL to the NCAA. Drafted sixth overall by Philadelphia in 2025, he spent three years in the OHL establishing himself as a premier natural goal-scorer and one of the top hockey minds in his age group. Heading to MSU was about testing himself against older, stronger competition. His 25 goals led all NHL prospects in college.
Blessed with arguably the best vision in the 2025 draft class, he possesses elite offensive instincts. Martone owns a lethal, heavy wrist shot and incredibly soft hands around the crease. While his straight-line foot speed won’t blow anyone away (it has improved a bit over the past year), his high-end hockey sense more than compensates for it. He processes the game at an advanced level, consistently identifying, exposing, and punishing gaps in opposing coverage.
Case in point: Despite playing 12:57 against Sweden and failing to register a shot, Martone was Canada’s best player in that game. He played fewer than 10 minutes against Italy but still registered an assist. Now, through four games, Martone currently sits at five points to sit tied for second in team scoring.
Martone thrives when he plays with other high-end talents. He had 17 points en route to gold playing alongside Gavin McKenna at the 2024 U-18 World Championship. It worked because both players process the game at a high level. Martone can only do so much heavy lifting himself, but he understands how to play with forwards who also boast immense hockey IQs.
Not everyone can play with superstar talent and thrive. But Martone was better than both Cozens and Mark Scheifele on that top line. When you can anticipate plays two steps ahead and get yourself into scoring lanes, magic happens. And that’s where Martone thrives.
Martone will never be mistaken for a bruiser. But at 6-foot-3, he has a nice frame, and he isn’t easy to push off the puck. Martone is more of an agitator than anything else – he lets the post-whistle scrums and his big mouth do the talking. Opponents hate him. Teammates love him (hence the many times he has worn the captain’s C in his young career).
The 2026-27 NHL Calder Trophy race should be a thrilling one. You’ve got players with pro experience, such as Chicago’s Roman Kantserov and Anton Frondell. Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas looked solid down the stretch for Washington. Buffalo’s Konsta Helenius impressed during the playoffs, and we know the Sabres should be competitive. Utah’s Tij Iginla might be the best player in junior hockey right now. And no matter where McKenna or Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg are drafted, both should be firmly in the mix.
But Martone might be the pre-season favorite. Everything he has done in college suggests he’s playing with an incredible amount of confidence right now. That’s something he has never lacked – but a World Championship gold wouldn’t hurt.
And for the Flyers, that’s huge. The team has some work to do to get them into a truly competitive position. But with Martone being one of the team’s most critical assets, they’ll be fine in the long run.
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