NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Flyers called a familiar name Thursday on Day 2 of the 2023 NHL draft at Bridgestone Arena.
They selected Cole Knuble, the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, in the fourth round at 103rd overall.
“He was on our list late last year,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said. “Skating was the issue and he worked his ass off all summer, put weight on, got stronger and has become a good skater. It’s one of those lessons that sometimes you’ve got to take a chance on these guys if they’re just lacking some strength in their skating.
“He’s a great kid, he’s really fired up to be a Flyer and we’ll see where it goes.”
Knuble, a forward like his dad, was the 105th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, climbing 20 spots from his midterm mark of 125th. The 5-foot-10, 185-pounder was one of the better players in the USHL this season, putting up 30 goals, 66 points and a plus-31 rating over 57 games for the Fargo Force. During the playoffs, he had nine points (six goals, three assists) in nine games.
His season was recognized as he won the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award, an honor given annually to the most outstanding American-born player in junior hockey.
Knuble is a Notre Dame commit and turns 19 years old on Saturday.
His father played over 1,000 games in the NHL, which included two stints with the Flyers.