A ninth-round selection (No. 282) by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2003 NHL Draft, Porter, a Toronto native, has developed a reputation as a tenacious depth forward.

Drafted after scoring 13 goals and 35 points in 59 games with Lincoln of the United States Hockey League in 2002-03, by the time he finished four years of college hockey at the University of North Dakota there was no place for him in the Blackhawks organization. Porter signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues on Aug. 21, 2007.

The forward made a habit of showcasing his modest scoring abilities against the team that drafted him. Facing Chicago on Oct. 18, 2008, his fourth NHL game, Porter scored a second-period goal and the Blues won 4-3 in a shootout.

In the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Porter opened the scoring in St. Louis' 4-3 Game 2 win against Chicago that gave the Blues a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Porter had a goal and two assists in the series, which Chicago won in six games.

At 6-foot-1 and 206 pounds, Porter doesn't shy away from contact. Despite ranking 23rd on the Blues in ice time in 2010-11, Porter was eighth among St. Louis players with 91 hits. The next season, he was 20th on the team in ice time but sixth in hits with 124.

After landing in Minnesota for the 2015-16 season and reuniting with his college teammate, friend and best man, Zach Parise, Porter led the Wild with 157 hits, though he was 20th in ice time.