Noah Cates Bio
Noah Allen Cates is an American professional ice hockey left wing for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected in the fifth round, 137th overall, of the 2017 NHL entry draft, Cates has steadily developed into a reliable two-way forward in Philadelphia. He is also an international competitor, having represented the United States at both the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he served as an alternate captain.
Before turning professional, Cates played four seasons of college hockey for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, earning All-NCHC honors in each of those years and capturing the 2019 NCAA Division I national championship as a freshman. Known for his defensive responsibility, hockey sense, and leadership, he has become a steady presence in the Flyers lineup since debuting in March 2022.
Early Life and Background
Noah Allen Cates was born on February 5, 1999, in Stillwater, Minnesota, to Jeff and Jenny Cates. The youngest of two sons, he grew up alongside his older brother Jackson, with whom he shared a deep passion for ice hockey from a young age. The pair often practiced together in the basement of their family home and played on the same childhood teams as they developed their games.
Hockey runs strongly in the Cates family. Cates’s father Jeff won the 1988 NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey tournament with the Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons, while his uncle Jay played three seasons of college ice hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Cates attended Stillwater Area High School, where he starred for the school’s ice hockey team. As a junior, his overtime goal that sent his team to the state tournament was featured on SportsCenter. The following year, he recorded 20 goals and 65 points in 25 games for Stillwater, cementing his reputation as one of the top young players in Minnesota.
Off the ice, Cates was a high school graduate in 2017 who chose a development path that would help him grow physically before stepping into the college game. That decision shaped the early next phase of his hockey journey.
Path to Hockey
Rather than entering college immediately after high school, Cates spent a season in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Omaha Lancers to improve his frame and add strength. The Lancers had taken Cates in Phase I of the 2015 USHL draft, and at the end of his high school season, he joined the team for the remainder of the 2016–17 USHL season. In 11 games with Omaha, he recorded two goals and five assists, providing an early taste of junior hockey.
Shortly afterward, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected Cates in the fifth round, with the 137th overall pick, of the 2017 NHL entry draft. Cates returned to Omaha for a full 2017–18 USHL season, where he started slowly with six goals and 14 points in his first 22 games before breaking out and finishing the year with 21 goals and 55 points in 60 games, along with a +21 plus–minus rating.
That production earned him a place in the University of Minnesota Duluth program, where he joined the Bulldogs for the 2018–19 season. He made his college hockey debut on October 6 against Minnesota, scored his first goal the following day, and ended the year as part of the 2019 NCAA Division I national championship team. The four seasons that followed at Duluth would shape him into a complete two-way forward ready for the NHL.
Noah Cates Career
Early Career (2018–2022)
Cates spent four seasons with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, earning All-NCHC honors every year and serving as captain in each of his final two seasons. As a freshman in 2018–19, he finished with nine goals and 23 points and was named to the NCHC All-Rookie Team. He also scored in the 3–0 championship game victory over the UMass Minutemen to clinch the 2019 NCAA Division I title.
Across his college career, Cates compiled 39 goals and 99 points in 139 games, while shifting between center and wing and consistently playing against opponents’ top lines. His leadership was evident when he became the first junior captain at Duluth since Adam Krause in 2014, a sign of how highly he was regarded by the program.
Flyers Breakthrough (2021–2023)
On March 27, 2022, shortly after the end of his college season, Cates signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers, which went into effect for the remainder of the 2021–22 NHL season. He made his NHL debut two days later, starting on left wing in a 4–1 loss to his hometown Minnesota Wild, and scored his first NHL goal on April 5 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. In 16 games to end that season, Cates recorded five goals and nine points, earning praise from interim coach Mike Yeo for his maturity and hockey sense.
With Sean Couturier not ready for opening night, head coach John Tortorella moved Cates to center to start the 2022–23 season. After a slow start with just one point in his first 11 games, Cates adjusted to the role and settled into a top-six position. By January and into February, he found chemistry playing on a line with Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny. One of four rookie forwards to play all 82 games during the 2022–23 season, Cates posted 13 goals and 38 points while leading all Flyers forwards with 1,456 minutes of ice time.
Philadelphia Flyers Era (2023–Present)
A restricted free agent at the end of the 2022–23 season, Cates re-signed with the Flyers for two years and $5.25 million on July 10, 2023. In preparation for the 2023–24 season, he worked on improving his offensive ability and his face-off skills. Although he continued to succeed defensively, Cates was dropped from the first to the fourth line in November after struggling to produce offensively. On November 25, he fractured his foot blocking a shot against the New York Islanders, ending a 119-game consecutive games streak. He missed 22 games, returned on January 15 against the St. Louis Blues, and finished the year with six goals and 18 points in 59 games.
After serving as a healthy scratch for four of the Flyers’ first five games of the 2024–25 season, Cates took over as a penalty kill specialist, drawing positive comparisons to Couturier for his defensive play. He found offensive success in December on a line with Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster, recording a five-game goal streak and helping that trio produce 25 combined points in their first 15 games together. At the Flyers’ end-of-season award banquet, Cates received the Gene Hart Memorial Award as the player who demonstrated the most heart during the season. He finished 2024–25 with 16 goals and 37 points in 78 games, and on June 3, 2025, he signed a four-year, $16 million extension with Philadelphia.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cates is widely recognized as a defensive-oriented two-way forward whose hockey sense, positioning, and penalty killing have been the foundation of his game. Coaches have repeatedly praised his maturity, competitive nature, and ability to play responsibly in all situations. While his offensive totals have fluctuated, his value in shutting down top opponents and stabilizing matchups has made him a trusted option for the coaching staff, and he continues to refine his face-off and scoring skills.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Cates’s signature moments are his 2019 NCAA championship-winning goal with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, his first NHL goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets in April 2022, and his selection as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. He also won a silver medal with the United States at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and earned the Gene Hart Memorial Award from the Flyers in 2025 for his heart and leadership.
Noah Cates Career Wins
Noah Cates has built a reputation as a winner at every level of his career, with championship success in junior, college, and international competition. His trophy case includes an NCAA Division I national title and a World Juniors silver medal, along with multiple All-NCHC selections and an in-team award from the Flyers.
College and International Highlights
As a freshman with the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, Cates scored in the 3–0 victory over the UMass Minutemen to win the 2019 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey championship. He later helped the United States win silver at the 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, finishing with one goal and three points in seven games. Internationally, he also represented the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where he served as alternate captain and recorded one goal in four games before Team USA was eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond his national championship, Cates earned All-NCHC honors in each of his four college seasons, including NCHC All-Rookie Team, All-NCHC First Team, All-NCHC Second Team, and All-NCHC Honorable Mention. He was also named to the AHCA All-American Second Team in 2019–20 and received the Gene Hart Memorial Award from the Philadelphia Flyers for the 2024–25 season.
Noah Cates Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Hockey has long been a family tradition for Noah Cates. His father, Jeff Cates, won the 1988 NCAA Division III men’s ice hockey tournament with the Wisconsin–River Falls Falcons, while his uncle Jay played three seasons of college ice hockey with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Cates’s older brother, Jackson, was also drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers and made his NHL debut in 2021, before most recently appearing with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. The brothers played together at Minnesota Duluth and shared the ice at multiple levels growing up.
Personal Life
Born and raised in Stillwater, Minnesota, Cates continues to be closely tied to his family and his hometown community. He has spoken openly about the influence of his parents, Jeff and Jenny Cates, and his brother Jackson on both his character and his hockey career. Cates remains active off the ice and is represented professionally by his play with the Philadelphia Flyers, with whom he has signed a long-term extension that keeps him in Philadelphia through 2029.
2025 Season Performance
During the 2024–25 season, Cates opened the year as a healthy scratch for four of the Flyers’ first five games before seizing a larger role as a penalty kill specialist. By December, he had found offensive chemistry on a line with Bobby Brink and Tyson Foerster, putting together a five-game goal streak and helping that trio lead the team’s forward combinations in minutes played through February. He finished the year with 16 goals and 37 points in 78 games, anchoring the Flyers’ defensive structure while taking on a more visible leadership role in the locker room.
His efforts were recognized at the Flyers’ end-of-season award banquet, where Cates received the Gene Hart Memorial Award for demonstrating the most heart during the season. That performance, combined with his expanded responsibility on both special teams and at even strength, helped set the stage for his long-term future in Philadelphia. On June 3, 2025, Cates signed a four-year, $16 million extension with the Flyers, locking him in as a core piece of the team’s forward group heading into the 2025–26 season.