Spartans' Martone Discusses Emotional Decision, NHL Future

Michigan State standout freshman Porter Martone has been one of the young stars in college hockey this season, leading the No. 1-ranked Spartans with 20 goals and 41 points as they seek a third straight Big Ten championship.

The forward and his team are benefiting from a rule change that allowed CHL and OHL players to play college hockey, and he says choosing Michigan State was an easy decision.

"When I stepped on campus at Michigan State on my tour and talked to Coach Nightingale, I knew this was the spot for me," Martone said in an interview with the Big Ten Network. "The culture they have here is next to none. You know the coaching staff is going to push you to get better, and the teammates here are unbelievable."

Why Porter Martone Chose the College Route

Martone is one of many players and recruits who have been impressed by Nightingale since he took over the program, leading to the recent run of success. They seem to appreciate what he brings to the table and the approach and playing style he bestows upon them.

"To see the hats fall on the ice from all the fans in the student section was awesome."@MSU_Hockey's Porter Martone on his first career hat trick in Friday's win over Notre Dame 🎩#B1GToday pic.twitter.com/VmC0weli29
— Big Ten Hockey (@B1GHockey) February 26, 2026

"One thing that Coach Nightingale said to me on my visit that stood out to me was, 'You're not going to be given anything. You're going to have to earn it," Martone said. "That's something that I love. I want to earn everything I get."

Until now, most players stuck around the CHL and OHL until moving onto the AHL and NHL, but that was a bit of a longer process. With the ability to jump into college, it allows more of a bridge for these players before reaching the pros, and Martone saw that opportunity.

It's a hat trick for Porter Martone!

We lead 6-2 in the third! pic.twitter.com/4yFQZ2fDwf
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) February 21, 2026

"I think coming to the Big Ten and playing college hockey was the next step for me," he explained. "It's kind of a stepping stone into pro hockey. You're playing against older competition, faster competition, and you're just preparing your body. I think that's something that's [part of] why I decided to make the jump."

Making that jump has the Spartans squarely in the running for a Big Ten title, controlling their own destiny with two weekends remaining this season (four games total). They trail Michigan by one point, but that situation will normalize when the Wolverines have their bye week next weekend.

Michigan State has won three in a row and nine of its last 10 entering this weekend.

"We're just playing how we need to play," Martone said. "Coach Nightingale stresses, 'Play the right way. Get the puck behind their D, and our skill will take care of itself.' I think, with how close we are as a team, we want to do it for each other. ... We've kind of bought into the same goal, and that's to win a national championship. But I think the big thing for us is we don't really look at that. We just try to get better every single day when we step on the ice for practice. That's why I think we're so successful right now."

Porter Martone has been a big part of what Michigan State has done this season, but as a recent top-10 NHL Draft pick (No.6 overall to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2025), inevitable speculation and questions have begun to arise about his future. He's putting it aside for now, but it is something both he and the Spartans will eventually have to deal with.

"When the time does come, you can talk about the next steps and the future then," Martone said. "But for me right now, I'm all in at Michigan State. I'm going to give 100% effort to this team and this community."

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