Noah Cates, a 2017 fifth-round draft pick that has developed into one of the Flyers' better prospects, signed his two-year entry-level deal Sunday.
The contract kicks in this season.
Cates' four-year collegiate career came to an end Saturday with Minnesota Duluth's 2-1 loss to Denver in a regional final of the NCAA Tournament.
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The 23-year-old is a versatile, well-rounded prospect. He can play winger or center, has good size at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and was an all-situation player for the Bulldogs.
Cates also played for the U.S. in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The Stillwater, Minnesota native will join the Flyers in his home state Tuesday when the Flyers visit the Wild for the final game of their five-game road trip (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).
"Noah has had an exceptional collegiate career and we're happy to have him signed," Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher said in a statement released by the team. "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. We have followed his progress closely and are excited to watch his continued growth in our organization."
Cates captained Minnesota Duluth over the last two seasons. As a senior, he had 11 goals, 13 assists and a plus-4 rating in 37 games.
Cates played an important role as a freshman on the Bulldogs' 2019 national champion team. He was just shy of being a point-per-game player during his sophomore season in which he put up 14 goals and 19 assists through 34 contests.
NHL
"He’s a fun player to watch, he does so many little things within his game," Minnesota Duluth head coach Scott Sandelin said in April 2020. "He’s got tremendous compete level, he’s hard on pucks, great body position, he’s strong on his feet. He’s got everything. He’s not going to wow you with Connor McDavid speed, but he does a lot of things that sometimes maybe the normal hockey person doesn’t always see all the time, but as a coach and as a teammate, you really appreciate. I think that’s what makes him, in my opinion, special."
The Flyers signed his brother Jackson Cates a little less than a year ago. They snagged Noah Cates in the fifth round of the 2017 draft when he was skinny high schooler.
The club has been impressed by his steady development into a pro-style player.
"We talk about him every day and we can't stop bragging about him," Flyers player development coach Kjell Samuelsson said in the summer of 2019. "He's quietly gotten better and better every year, and everything we ask him to do, he's doing it."
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