Stillwater Native To Play For US Hockey Team At Beijing Olympics

STILLWATER, MN — Stillwater native Noah Cates is set to represent the U.S. at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing as a member of the men's hockey team.

Cates, who captains the University of Minnesota Duluth squad, was called up to the Olympic team last week alongside 24 other players.

The senior forward will play for Team USA for the second time in his career at the Beijing Olympics. He played in seven games at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada, scoring once and earning two assists.

Mask Mandate Could Be Adopted At Stillwater High School

Cates said he is excited to play for the U.S. at Beijing Olympics, which he called “the pinnacle” of competition, The Rink Live reported.

Cates, a prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers, is the 14th men’s hockey player from the University of Minnesota Duluth to represent their country at the Olympics, according to the school.

He made his debut for the Bulldogs hockey team in October 2018 and scored his first goal a day later. He finished the season with a selection to the National Collegiate Hockey Conference’s All-Rookie team and was named the school’s Rookie of the Year.

Cates got his Olympic callup after the NHL opted out of sending players to the Beijing Olympics due to the coronavirus.

Prosecutor Launches Bid For County Attorney With Key Endorsement

The U.S. men's hockey team roster includes 15 collegiate players, eight professionals from European leagues and two AHL players. Seven players are Minnesota natives.

Only one of the 25 players — forward Brian O'Neill — has been to the Olympics before, according to the team.

The U.S. Olympic men's hockey team finished seventh among 12 teams at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Cates will celebrate his 23rd birthday at the Olympics several days before the team's schedule gets underway. The U.S. will play China on Feb. 10, followed by games Feb. 12-13 against Canada and Germany in the preliminary round.