When it comes to athletics in Philadelphia there is usually a strong connection between the players and fans. At the end of the season, I decided to interview four different Flyers players who I wanted Philadelphia to get to know better. Covering the Flyers for the past couple of seasons I’ve seen the good, bad, and ugly.
One thing I can say is that the players work beyond hard on and off the ice. When a team is struggling sometimes it’s hard to look at the positives, which is why Noah Cates is a player that will give you hope for the future of the Philadelphia Flyers.
Noah Cates has made heads turn this past season as a standout on the struggling Philadelphia team. The Flyers drafted the left winger, Noah Cates, in the 2017 entry draft. Cates was drafted in the 5th rd, 13th pk (137th overall). Cates’s ability to play center despite him being a winger is another strong attribute he has.
To some, the Cates name sounds familiar and that’s because Noah’s older brother Jackson was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers as a free agent in 2021. There has been overlap between the two brothers playing for the orange and black, but J. Cates has spent a good amount of time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. (Flyers AHL team).
With Noah playing 82 games with the Flyers this season he definitely is only going to be a bigger part of the team going forward. He has developed into a strong player that accumulated 13 goals and 25 assists.
The most substantial factor in Cates’ play his is ability to draw scoring opportunities.
Noah Cates stands at 6’1 and weighs in at 165 pounds. While he isn’t the biggest body on the ice he makes his presence known. He is a skilled skater with even better puck control. Cates is also strong defensively, which contributes to his volubility on ice.
Noah Cates's Favorite NHL Moment
“I’d have to say my debut. I made my hometown and probably had 2 to 300 family and friends there. And all my buddies made it on the glass and warm up. So that was a super special moment.” Cates told me when being asked about his favorite NHL moment. Cates made his NHL debut on March 27th 2022. The Flyers faced a 4-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild. Cates played a total of 5 games in the 2021-2022 season with an impressive 5 goals and 4 assists.
Where Noah Cates Grew Up
“I love my hometown in Stillwater. It’s right on the river. And I mean, I’ve met all my best friends there and played high school hockey there, so it obviously means a lot to me.” The forward gleamed with joy when talking about his hometown based in Minnesota. I was curious about the differences between Stillwater and Philadelphia. Noah explained, “The big city (Philadelphia). A lot of people around and definitely a lot of good restaurants, but nothing like, you know, hometown and a smaller town.”
Who Did Noah Cates Look Up To When Growing Up?
I asked Noah who his favorite player was watching growing up, “I’d say Sidney Crosby it may feel a little weird playing for Philly now. He was definitely a superstar, an all-around great, great guy, and a great player to watch growing up. ” Despite him being on one of the Flyers’ great rival teams Crosby has made a huge impact on the younger players in the NHL and is not the worse player to look up to maybe just the wrong team.
To follow up with Noah I wanted to see which player past or present he would want to skate with. “I’d have to say, Gretzky. Obviously, the greatest of all time would be cool to play with him.” Wayne Gretzky is a phenomenal answer and there’s a reason why he is the greatest of all time.
What Makes Philadelphia Special To Play In?
A common denominator amongst athletes that come into Philadelphia is how special the fans are. With Cates having himself a good season I was curious about his take on the Philadelphia crowd. “Oh, they’re passionate. They’re probably one of the best sports cities in the world out here in Philadelphia. And, you know, they love their Flyers and all their other teams. But playing here is something super cool and, you know, something I want to do for a long time now.”
Best Part About Being A Flyer
When it comes to the long history of the Philadelphia Flyers it is a privilege to say you are a Flyer. I felt it was important to get Cates’ perspective on what it’s truly like to be a Philadelphia Flyer. He said, “Being around the guys every day we get treated very well and this league is super fun, but just being around these guys, like I said, they’re pretty funny. And obviously, you know, you can learn a lot from them on and off the ice. But just being around these guys every day and being able to go out to dinner and travel often was super fun.”
It’s evident this team is close with each other as Cates even told me that Cam Atkinson calls him Catsey Cat. With all jokes aside he told me how strongly bonded they are all.
