An unforgettable opening shift and a pair of freshmen forwards pop as Michigan State cruises to a 4-0 victory over the Windsor Lancers in a season-opening exhibition game. It’s fair to say Philadelphia Flyers top prospect Porter Martone had an exciting college hockey debut.
The first shift
First game, first shift, first shot? No big deal. Porter Martone had a fantastic debut from the jump. He leveraged his size to park himself in front of the net, corral the free puck, and beat goaltender Max Donoso to open the scoring.
Porter Martone wasting no time making his name known in East Lansing!
Spartans strike first 35 seconds in. pic.twitter.com/buWSHuKd6X
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 3, 2025
This is exactly what we were hoping to see from Martone, it just came a bit earlier than anyone expected. Michigan State dominated the game, and it all began with this Martone shift. He pushed the pace on the forecheck, went to the most dangerous area of the ice, and was rewarded. It was a promising start for Martone, who continued his strong play throughout.
They’re freshmen?
It’s hard to believe that both Martone, and Nashville Predators prospect Ryker Lee, are freshman forwards. The two were everywhere for Michigan State and by far the two best players in the game. With a goal a piece and five shots on goal each, the two freshmen looked like they were seasoned veterans. We may have been focused on Martone and Shane Vansaghi, but it was impossible to miss Lee. Nashville might have found a gem with the 26th overall pick in this past Summer’s draft.
Oh my goodness, Ryker Lee!
Michigan State leads 4-0 in the second period. pic.twitter.com/uDJJwWDDy4
— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) October 3, 2025
Speaking of…
Martone isn’t the only Flyers prospect in this game. When he made the decision to join Michigan State, Martone joined 2025 second-round pick Shane Vansaghi. The book on Vansaghi is that he’s a physical-first player, but in this game it was the chances he created offensively that stood out the most. He was only credited with one shot on goal, but he generated more scoring chances than that (he just happened to miss the net). His best individual play came late in the first period, where he stole the puck in the neutral zone, protected the puck with one hand while angling his way to the net, before getting off a quick snap shot that just missed a bit high and wide.
He was also briefly credited with a secondary assist on Lee’s goal, but they later too it away from him. It was a bit of a broken play, so it’s understandable, but Vansaghi got the play started through the neutral zone, eventually leading to a Martone shot and a Lee goal.
Let’s get physical
Martone wasn’t just involved offensively. He also showed physicality and that competitive edge that will quickly endear him to the Philadelphia faithful.
Yeah, I think this dude is a Flyer pic.twitter.com/MibAu8wDaU
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) October 3, 2025
Getting into someone’s face in your first exhibition game? Yeah, that will win over some fans. This is to be expected from both Martone and Vansaghi this season. Two bigger guys who can will their way to open space. Martone was given two minutes for roughing, as well as two minutes for slashing for his antics. It’s not as if this was the beginning and the end of his physical play either, he was active along the boards and on the forecheck throughout.
What it all means
It’s one game, it’s an exhibition game. Big picture, this might not count for a whole lot. However, a hot start can go a long way when it comes to long term success, and for Martone, the Flyers, and Michigan State, his debut went about as well as one could hope. The team looks good, Martone being a big part of it, and they look set to continue their winning ways. Coming off back-to-back championships, and two 25+ win seasons, Martone may have a very fun season ahead of him.