Stillwater’s Noah Cates Scores 1st NHL Goal To Launch Career In Philly

STILLWATER, MN — Stillwater Area High School graduate Noah Cates scored the first goal of his professional career Tuesday night, just a week after making his debut for the Philadelphia Flyers in St. Paul.

Cates, 23, notched his first NHL goal in a 4-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, his fourth game with the Flyers.

He followed up that career milestone with his second NHL goal as the Flyers beat the Blue Jackets 4-2 on Thursday night.

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Cates made the jump to the NHL on March 27, a day after his collegiate career ended with the University of Minnesota Duluth's 2-1 loss to the University of Denver in the NCAA tournament, NBC Sports reported.

He signed a two-year entry level deal that runs through the end of the 2022-23 season. The Flyers selected Cates in the fifth round of the 2017 draft.

NHL goal No. ☝ for Noah Cates. Grab that puck! pic.twitter.com/pW0sv3OCAN
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 5, 2022

Cates, who can play as a center or winger, was an alternate captain for the U.S. men’s hockey team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he scored on his Olympic debut.

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Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said the organization was “happy to have (Cates) signed” through the end of next season after his “exceptional” collegiate career.

"Noah is a versatile and responsible two-way player who has helped Minnesota-Duluth win a National Championship and represented the United States on both the World Junior and Olympic stage,” Fletcher said in a statement announcing Cates’ signing. “We have followed his progress closely and are excited to watch his continued growth in our organization."

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Cates’ older brother, Jackson, is also under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Jackson Cates, a center, has scored one goal in 11 games this season.

The Philadelphia Flyers hold a 27-37-11 record, and are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference's Metropolitan Division, as of Friday.

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