Martone setting tone for Canada at world juniors before New Year's Eve clash with Finland

Porter Martone stood up and faced the music.

The Canadian captain at the world junior hockey championship was issued a warning by a disciplinary committee for crossing the red line in warm-ups ahead of a feisty opening-night rematch against the Czech Republic, the team that eliminated his country at the quarterfinal stage of the last two tournaments.

Martone then took an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after sealing a 7-5 victory with an empty-net goal. Hockey Canada was also subsequently forced to apologize when the team didn't take part in the post-anthem handshake line.

The 19-year-old from Peterborough, Ont., took full responsibility and promised to be better.

That bumpy road now in his rearview mirror, Martone has found his rhythm and is poised to lead Canada into a New Year's Eve clash against Finland (8:30 p.m. ET) with first place in Group B on the line.

"One bad day doesn't define a person," star forward Gavin McKenna said from Minneapolis. "There's a reason he was named captain. Guys fall behind him."

Martone credits his parents, Angela and Mike, for qualities that have often pushed him to the head of a pack.

"I was given this gift to play hockey, and it's what you can do with this," the No. 6 overall pick at the 2025 NHL draft by the Philadelphia Flyers said of the message growing up. "It's not always about the skill you have on the ice. It's what you can do to make people around you better and people in the community better."

Martone, whose dad was a fourth-round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 1996, had the opportunity to further hone his leadership qualities in the spring at the men's world championship watching Sidney Crosby go about his business.

"It was pretty crazy," Martone said. "Five years