Hey, look: It’s Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cole Knuble doing good things again. Hey, look: Same with Cutter Gauthier.
Knuble had an assist in Team White’s 4-3 loss to Finland on Friday on the final day of the World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Mich. Gauthier scored a goal — his fourth in four Showcase games.
All four teams finished 2-2 — both American teams (White and Blue) Sweden and Finland. The Showcase was an opportunity for players to enhance their chances to be selected to compete in the World Juniors championships at the end of the year.
Knuble was joined on the White team Friday by fellow Philadelphia Flyers prospects Gauthier and Devin Kaplan.
The Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis singled out four players on each of the American teams for their play Friday. Knuble was one of the four.
About Knuble, Ellis wrote: “Drafted as an overage player, Knuble – the star of USA’s World Junior A Challenge team last winter – had a sneaky good week.
“He fought hard for the puck to help set up [Oliver] Moore’s first goal and then was involved again on the second. He had a few noticeable efforts in Plymouth and could force himself into a bottom-six role in December [in the World Juniors championships in Sweden].”
No Team USA game, it seems, can go by without a Gauthier goal. The Flyers’ 2022 first-round pick scored a power-play goal from in front of the net just 1:01 into the third period to give the Americans a 3-2 lead. He was second in goals scored in the Showcase.
Local Guy
Knuble earned praise from many corners at last month’s Flyers Development Camp. What was additionally noteworthy is the assessment was based on just two days on the ice. He was in Voorhees for only two of the four days of camp.
He was something of a celebrity in Voorhees — son of former Flyers forward Mike Knuble returning to the rink where he said he learned to skate. But it was obvious from his play that Knuble belonged and was worthy of his 2023 fourth-round draft status. Knuble was the 103rd overall draft pick.
Knuble will play at Notre Dame in the fall. He’s someone to keep an eye on through his freshman season.
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