Photo Credit: Our very own Michael Reaves
Noah Cates says, “I think just getting bigger, faster, and a little quicker,” when asked what he needed to improve last offseason at exit interviews. He put in the work this Summer and it’s quite evident in his play. For his efforts, Cates looks like a mini Sean Couturier on the ice.
“He’s a coach’s dream.” – Head Coach of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms Ian Laperrière said following a Flyers first pre-season tilt
“He does everything right,” Laperrière continued. “He doesn’t cheat. He plays the right way and coachable. How can you not like a guy like that? I don’t know Torts much but I know every coach likes players like that. His brother is playing great too. Jackson, I wouldn’t but him out of the race either. He came in camp in tip-top shape and came in camp to make the team. I’m sure they trained together. They’re tight. They’re always together and it’s fun to watch. Noah is a pleasure to just see what he does, the little things that you don’t see, a super goal by beating a guy one-on-one or score a great goal. He does the little things that coaches like.”
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Getting bigger, stronger, faster are common goals for young prospects to make it at the next level. For Cates, his line of Tyson Foerster and Bobby Brink have become the Flyers most consistent line during the 2024-25 season.
He has skated well, and is confident and poised with the big club. It almost is reminiscent of the Sean Couturier, Andy is starting to produce offensively with his five game goal streak currently ending against the Los Angeles Kings this past Sunday night.
“He doesn’t surprise me anymore. He continues to get better.” – Flyers’ Head Coach John Tortorella
Cates creates turnovers in the neutral zone by suffocating his opponents, and sealing their gaps. This is a highly underrated area of his game. Throughout his collegiate career he was very good at forcing turnovers in the neutral zone, thus creating an odd man rust the other way. He has taken nothing for granted, and is relishing the moment.
The young 25-year-old in Cates logs an average of 13:28 of ice time, has surpassed his goal total from the 2023-24 season with seven, and has registered six assists. Not a bad start to his NHL carer by any means, “I think that’s a big part of my game,” Cates said in response if the team needs to get harder to play against. “It’s little things. It’s stopping on pucks, having a good stick. Being physical. Not blowing guys up. Just kind of little things that you don’t like when players do to you, you’ve got to do to them. I think that’s a huge part of my game. Just the kind of things that I need to bring to the table on stopping those pucks and little stick details.”
One of the main reasons he is an NHL caliber player, and should be considered as such is his skating. He skates very well, and that also gives him a physical edge to his game. Cates has impressed, and for his efforts, has emerged into a number two Center for the Flyers.
