"I got to be around Sidney Crosby for a month straight. You can’t put a price tag on that."
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BUFFALO — Porter Martone’s education abroad was a lot different than what most teens experience.
He was enrolled in a master class of hockey professionalism.
While most of this year’s projected draft class prepped at their local rinks and gyms, the Peterborough, Ontario, native was lacing his Bauers up with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships in Sweden and Denmark.
“I mean it was pretty special. Got to go play with a bunch of NHL players [at] the World Championships. Not every 18-year-old kid gets to say they can do that,” Martone said following his physical testing at the NHL Scouting Combine Saturday. “I got to be around Sidney Crosby for a month straight. You can’t put a price tag on that. I got to learn so much and I think I kind of got a little bit of a one up. I was around NHL players for a month, so going into the training camp, I definitely know what to expect.”
“I learned so much about the way that Crosby prepares himself for games, his routine, it’s something special,” Martone said. “When he goes to the rink, he’s got something he does at a certain time on the clock, every single time. So that’s pretty special.”
It wasn’t just Crosby who left an impression on Martone, who also represented Canada at the World Juniors.
“Nathan McKinnon, how competitive he is,” said Martone. “He said whether it’s practice, playing a game in the hotel, or during games, he is always going to give it his all and he wants to be the best and he brings out the best in other people. And then you can look at Ryan O’Reilly, Brayden Schenn, they kind of took me under their wings, and how much fun they have at the rink, how good leaders they are.”
A stout 6-foot-3-inch, 205-pound right winger, Martone is sixth on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters. He is on the fast track to make an impact as a prototypical power forward.
The Bruins currently hold the No. 7 pick in the draft June 27 and a big-bodied winger with excellent vision and hockey sense could fit the bill nicely.
Bear continuing rehab ahead of draft
Carter Bear skipped the physical testing as the 6-foot, 180-pound center/left wing continues to rehab from an Achilles’ injury sustained when a player accidentally stepped on the back of his leg earlier this year. Bear is an intense competitor who put up 40 goals and 82 points in 56 games for the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. His playing style (and last name) would make him an instant favorite in Boston ... William Horcoff’s size (6-5, 190 pounds) and NHL pedigree (his father is longtime NHLer Shawn) make him an intriguing prospect. He rang up 8 goals and 14 points in 28 games with the US National Development Under-18 team and then collected 4 goals and 10 points in 18 games for Michigan last season. He is ranked No. 24 on CSB’s North American skater list. “My dad told me that if you want it, you’ve got to put everything into it, and I want it really bad,” he said. “Just make sure you’re not going to bed knowing you could have done more because if you can’t do that, you’re not going to maximize your potential and be the best player you can be in five years. That’s the best advice he’s given me.” ... The top four players in CSB’s North American skaters rankings — Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, James Hagens, and Jake O’Brien — will be in Sunrise, Fla., for Monday’s Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Oilers and Panthers.