Jackson Cates Signs In DEL

Forward Jackson Cates is headed to Germany to continue his professional playing career. According to a team announcement, Cates has signed a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season with the DEL’s Nürnberg Ice Tigers.

Cates, 28, is the older brother of Philadelphia Flyers forward Noah Cates. Cates joined the Flyers organization as a collegiate free agent at the end of the 2020-21 season, despite not being drafted by Philadelphia like his brother. Like Noah, Jackson played his collegiate hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, scoring 27 goals and 64 points in 97 games with a +15 rating. He helped the Bulldogs win the National Championship in 2019.

During his time in the Flyers organization, Cates was largely an AHL talent. In his first season, he scored two goals and 10 points in 37 games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Still, he did feature in a few NHL contests, finishing the season with one goal in 11 games.

The next season, it was more of the same for Cates. He finished the 2022-23 season having registered 11 goals and 23 points in 65 AHL contests, with zero points in five NHL games. Unfortunately, Philadelphia didn’t feel the need to retain Cates for the 2023-24 season, and he signed a professional tryout agreement with the New York Islanders before the season. The PTO was entirely spent with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, until he was released after 12 games.

It didn’t take long for Cates to find a new home. He eventually landed with the Chicago Blackhawks organization on another PTO. He finished the campaign on a strong note, scoring 11 goals and 25 points in 50 games for the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. He remained with the IceHogs for the next two seasons, scoring 13 goals and 24 points in 93 games with a -15 rating.