The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have signed prospect Noah Cates to an entry-level contract, according to Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher. It is a two-year contract that runs though 2023.
Noah, the younger brother of fellow Flyers prospect Jackson Cates, was drafted in the 5th round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and has been playing with the University of Minnesota-Duluth since 2018. The first year of his contract will begin this year as he will join the big club on March 29th for their game against the Minnesota Wild since his season has come to an end.
In his draft year he played for the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, where he tallied 21 goals and 54 points in 60 games before joining the NCHC for the next 4 seasons. As a freshman, he helped Minnesota-Duluth claim their second consecutive NCAA national championship, and his numbers have been steady as he has amassed 39 goals and 99 points in 139 games as a Bulldog.
He was also the captain at UMD for the last two seasons, and he even represented the United States at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. He played in all 4 games, scored 1 goal, was a +2, and was even named an alternate captain for his country. Cates also represented the United States in the 2019 World Junior Championships, where he won the silver medal while tallying 3 points in 7 games and played alongside Joel Farabee.
The left-winger stands at 6’1” and weighs in at around 180 pounds, and figures to play a prominent role in the bottom-six with the season coming to a close. This season he finished with 11 goals and 24 points in 37 games, two seasons removed from his career-highs of 14 goals and 33 points.
The Flyers are going young with their remaining 17 games and burning a year of his entry-level deal right away almost ensures ice-time and plenty of opportunities to shine with the season all but lost. Cates also becomes the 8th player from the 2017 NHL Draft to have signed their entry-level contract with the Flyers, the sole exception being Wyatt Kalynuk who is currently on the Chicago Blackhawks.
