Flyers forward Noah Cates looking forward to ‘picture-perfect’ NHL debut in his native Minnesota

ST. PAUL — When Stillwater, Minnesota native Noah Cates was 15 years old, he played on a summer triple-A hockey team with Kyler Yeo, son of then-Minnesota Wild head coach Mike Yeo.

Yes, that Mike Yeo.

Cates, 23, regularly attended Wild games with friends as a teenager at the Xcel Energy Center, growing up watching franchise legends Mikko Koivu, Zach Parise, and Ryan Suter. Naturally, Cates was slightly starstruck by Kyler’s dad, who coached the Wild from 2011 to 2016.

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“Obviously, [I] thought he was one of the coolest dads out there,” Cates said.

On Tuesday, that cool dad will coach Cates in his NHL debut with the Flyers against the Wild in his native Minnesota. Cates signed a two-year, entry-level contract on Sunday, one day after his University of Minnesota-Duluth team lost in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Now, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Cates will bring his talents to the Flyers, talents that Yeo saw up-close long before Cates’ successful collegiate career.

“He was a smaller player at that time, but you could just tell he was so heady out there, the way that he thought the game, the way that he was able to play both with and without the puck,” Yeo said. “Despite being a player that was smaller than everybody else, he was just so effective every time he was on the ice.”

Yeo followed Cates’ career starting at Stillwater High School, where he put together a 65-point season (20 goals, 45 assists in 25 games) in 2016-17. Cates then went on to play four years at Minnesota-Duluth, racking up 99 career points.

He made two Frozen Four appearances (2019, 2021) in four years and won NCAA Championship in 2019. In February, Cates was an assistant captain on the U.S. men’s hockey team at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

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“Obviously, he hasn’t won a Stanley Cup,” Yeo said. “He hasn’t had a chance yet, but he’s won at different levels. Winners have a way of knowing what to do at critical times. And so I think he’s gonna be a really good addition for us.”

Cates “can’t even put a number on” how many friends and family members will attend his NHL debut. However, he knows for certain that he’ll have one very special guest in attendance — his brother, Jackson, who is also in the Flyers’ system and has played 11 games for the team this season.

Jackson was injured while playing for the Phantoms on March 5. While Cates is disappointed that Jackson won’t be available to play alongside him in his NHL debut, he’s happy his brother can make it to the game.

“His debut, I made it out kind of last-minute and it was one of the best days of my life,” Cates said. “So super special getting to see him and now he’ll be able to watch me and be around a ton of family and friends.”

Heading into the remainder of the season, Cates is focused on playing his game and earning the trust of the coaching staff. But for now, he’s soaking up the moments leading up to his NHL debut in the rink he grew up frequenting, a story he couldn’t have scripted better if he tried.

“Never really dreamt that it would be in Minnesota, my first game, but it all came together so, so well kind of picture-perfect,” Cates said. “So I’m really looking forward to it and it’s gonna be a big day tomorrow.”

Center Nate Thompson (shoulder) skated in the Flyers’ limited participation practice on Monday in advance of Tuesday’s game.

Yeo said that he would like Thompson to get in a full practice before returning to game action. Thompson won’t be available to play on Tuesday, however Yeo said there is a “good chance” that Thompson returns to the lineup next week after the Flyers return from their five-city road trip.

Thompson has been out of the lineup since Nov. 26 after sustaining an injury against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Flyers have seen plenty of attrition up the middle throughout the season, with Thompson, Sean Couturier, Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard, and Scott Laughton missing time due to injury.

In 19 games this season, Thompson, 37, registered one goal while playing primarily on the fourth line.