Jackson Cates

Jackson Cates (born September 28, 1997) is an American professional ice hockey center for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect to the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL).
== Early life ==
Cates was born on September 28, 1997 in Stillwater, Minnesota. He played ice hockey for the Stillwater Area High School Ponies, a tenure which included two state tournament appearances in 2014 and 2016. His career totals of 57 goals and 63 assists, for a total of 120 points, was the highest in school history, and at the end of his senior year, Cates was given the Herb Brooks Award, bestowed annually on the state tournament player who best demonstrates the values and traits exemplified by Herb Brooks.
== Playing career ==
=== Amateur ===
Cates played junior ice hockey with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the United States Hockey League. He scored a hat trick with the team on January 28, 2018 in a 7–3 rout of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Cates originally committed to play hockey at Michigan Tech, but decided to sign a National Letter of Intent with the University of Minnesota Duluth in August 2017 so that he could play alongside his younger brother. In his junior season, Cates posted 27 points (11 goals and 16 assists) in 28 games with the Bulldogs.
=== Professional ===
On April 13, 2021, the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) signed Cates as a college free agent to a two-year entry-level contract with an average annual value of $925,000. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Cates was required to quarantine after arriving in Philadelphia before he could skate with the team. Cates made his NHL debut on April 23, 2021, in a game against the New York Rangers.
When Morgan Frost was placed in COVID-19 protocols on December 15, 2021, Cates was promoted to Philadelphia for their road game against the Montreal Canadiens. He scored his first NHL goal in that game, putting the Flyers up 2–1 in a shootout loss.
== Player profile ==
Scott Sandelin, Cates' coach at Minnesota Duluth, referred to him as "a really smart skater who can make plays", and emphasized Cates' 200-foot game, power play, and penalty kill abilities.
== Personal life ==
Cates is the older brother of Noah Cates, who was selected by the Flyers in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
== Career statistics ==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2016–17 	Waterloo Black Hawks 	USHL 		56 	11 	10 	21 	8 		8 	2 	1 	3 	0
2017–18 	Waterloo Black Hawks 	USHL 		57 	33 	30 	63 	18 		8 	2 	2 	4 	2
2018–19 	Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs	NCHC 		39 	8 	6 	14 	14 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2019–20 	Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs	NCHC 		29 	8 	15 	23 	6 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs	NCHC 		28 	11 	16 	27 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 		4 	0 	1 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Lehigh Valley Phantoms 	AHL 		37 	2 	8 	10 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 		11 	1 	0 	1 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		15 	1 	1 	2 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
== References ==
==External links==
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Category:American men's ice hockey centers
Category:Lehigh Valley Phantoms players
Category:Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs men's ice hockey players
Category:Waterloo Black Hawks players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players
Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players