Photo Credit: NHL.com
The young Bulldogs product in Noah Cates has become quite the stud in his collegiate career with the Bulldogs. For the 2020-21 season, he amassed five goals, and 14 assists for a total of 19 points in 28 games played in a weird season of sorts due to Covid-19. It appeared he continued his success from the 2019-20 season, where he tallied nine goals and chipped in 14 assists for a total of 23 points in 40 games played, but he was inconsistent at times. Cates has hockey smarts and is a strong competitor. He is a thin but a very agile skater who needs to improve his jump, but Cates has gotten stronger as weighs 190 pounds at the moment. Cates is a highly skilled player that can shoot the puck well in tight areas.
Sick goal by Noah Cates pic.twitter.com/qnEwSM5K3I— Brad Keffer (@brad_keffer) August 4, 2018
For his efforts, Noah has been named to Team USA at the Beijing Olympics. This is quite the honor for a young man in search of an ELC (Entry-Level-Contract) for the Flyers, following his collegiate career at season”s end.
Captain Cates of the Bulldogs could very well compete for the National Championship once again. Noah decided to return to the Bulldogs, as opposed to signing an Entry-Level-Contract with the Flyers in the offseason. The Flyers were inclined to ink him to a deal, but Noah wanted to win another title.
Hopefully, Noah Cates will pan out the way the Flyers envision him to. Cates cannot be forgotten by some as a winger for the orange and black in the future, and neither can his brother Jackson. With that being said, both Noah and Jackson Cates have the heart, the will, and the strength to make it at the NHL level. Fortunately, the Flyers do not have to rush their development (If they choose to sign Jackson Cates as a Free Agent in the future), and they can take their time learning the game the right way. Noah could even earn an Entry-Level-Contract (ELC) with the Flyers at year’s end.
Pat Nagle
Nagle, is a well traveled netminder that saw time with the Reading Royals earlier in the season. He is the ECHL’s 5th all-time league leader in victories with 198.
The well versed Nagle, moves post to post rather well, has a 7-2-3 record with a 2.58 GAA, and .927 Save Percentage with the Royals on the season. In addition, he is 5-0-3 with a 2.74 GAA, and a .897 Save Percentage for the Phantoms this season.
What Nagle brings is experience, and that is something that Nagle has a ton of. He will be able to guide the youth, and show them the right way to win hockey games, especially in a short amount of time. Nagle is a good addition by Team USA General Manager John Vanbiesbrouck.
