Cole Knuble, University of Notre Dame (Photo credit: Notre Dame Athletics)
Cole Knuble got his first taste of the Philadelphia Flyers organization at about the youngest age possible. He was born on July 1, 2004, and two days later, his father, Mike Knuble, signed a contract with the team. Mike’s Philadelphia debut was delayed a year due to the 2004-05 lockout. Still, he remained a Flyer until Cole’s fifth birthday, then returned to the organization four and a half years later to finish his 16-year professional career.
Cole still has a long way to go to reach his father’s 1,068 career games, which doesn’t even include another near-full season’s worth of playoff action. But it may not be long until he starts his pursuit. The Flyers drafted him in the fourth round in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, and after a solid freshman season at the University of Notre Dame, Knuble took a big step forward in the 2024-25 season. He led the Fighting Irish with 39 points, earning Second Team All-Big 10 honors, and was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award for college hockey’s top player. Not bad for a mid-round pick who was passed over in his first draft-eligible season.
Knuble recently sat down with The Hockey Writers to discuss the leap Knuble made in his sophomore season, his impressions of the Flyers organization now that he’s preparing to play for them, and more.
Adjusting to College Hockey
Knuble made an impression on scouts and prospect evaluators during the 2022-23 season, his second year with the United States Hockey League’s Fargo Force. He added 17 points to his total from the previous year in five fewer games, leading to the Flyers taking a chance on him in the 2023 draft.
But that scoring touch dried up when Knuble arrived in South Bend. It took him 11 games to register his first point, and he entered the season’s Christmas break with just three assists and one goal (an empty-netter). But he broke out in Notre Dame’s first series back, scoring a hat trick in the first game and an overtime winner in the second. Starting from there, he finished the season with eight goals and eight assists in his final 18 games.
“The first half, it was weird, kind of something I never experienced before my in my career so far, not scoring or getting points, but I think I learned how to impact the game in other ways, a little bit, and I kind of learned how to battle the adversity. And my second half of the freshman year was, yeah, it was, was a different story, and turning into a kind of a nice year, I guess,” Knuble said. “But I think it kind of taught me how to battle through those, those moments, and then it also pushed me.”
That surge gave him a solid base to build off heading into his sophomore season. Knuble said he spent the offseason working out in the gym and focusing on improving his strength. Listed at 5-foot-10, 191 pounds, his summer gains showed immediately in the fall. There would be no slow start this time — Knuble scored two goals in the season opener and had a goal and an assist in each of the next two games. He was beginning to take off.
“I had a hot start, which was, yeah, it was completely different. So that felt good,” he said. “And I think it kind of just carried me through the whole year, to be honest, like I had a good start and I was confident the whole year to make plays and wanted to make plays. Obviously, there’s going to be little ups and downs in your season, but I think, like, a good start to the year can really push you and give you momentum.
It was a disappointing season for Notre Dame as a team — the Irish went just 12-25-1, their first season under .500 since 2005-06 — Knuble was a bright spot. His 39 points were the most for an Irish skater since Jake Evans tallied 46 in 2017-18. Two seasons later, Evans was in the NHL, where he has become a dependable bottom-six staple for the Montréal Canadiens. He picked a good time to have a career-high 35 points, earning a four-year, $11.4 million contract and helping the Habs to the cusp of their first playoff berth in four seasons.
The best case for Knuble is probably something similar to Evans. He’ll never be a team-leading scorer for an NHL team, but is a well-rounded player who Irish head coach Jeff Jackson trusted in many situations this season. One interesting wrinkle for Knuble’s junior season is that it will be under a new coach, as Jackson announced the 2024-25 campaign would be his last with the Irish in the previous summer. He’ll be replaced by a familiar face, though, as long-time assistant Brock Sheehan will take the lead role, with his introductory press conference occurring Wednesday.
“I’m happy I chose came to come here and play for [coach Jackson], but with Brock, I mean, obviously everyone’s really excited, just like young energy, really focused on development and as he’s as I mean, I had him for an assistant for two years, so I kind of know what he’s, what he brings,” Knuble said.
Knuble’s Next Steps
Yes, Knuble will have a junior season at Notre Dame. The last Flyer to turn pro after fewer than three collegiate seasons was Joel Farabee in 2019, a point-per-game player in his only season at Boston University. However, there are two key differences between the two. Knuble will be 21 when next season begins, while Farabee was only 19 when his pro career started. More importantly, Farabee was a first-round pick drafted 89 spots higher than Knuble and was a more dynamic player at this stage in their respective careers.
“It’s kind of something when, when I feel I’m most ready and I want to go when, I feel like it gives me the best chance for a long NHL career, not just, not just a few years, I mean, I want to play as long as possible. So I think when the time comes, I’ll be ready to go and turn pro,” Knuble said.
Knuble said his offseason plans will mirror last summer’s focus, which was more about working off the ice than on. However, one key on-ice area for him to improve remains his skating. Concerns about that were a big reason why Knuble went undrafted in 2022, and it is still the most pressing concern as the transition to the professional game looms. Knuble believes he’s made progress in that department, but there’s room for improvement.
“It’s gotten better each year, the past couple years, for sure, I still think there’s obviously areas I can work on, and an overall improvement is definitely needed, just with how fast it is and pro hockey. So it’s something I’m really committed to,” Knuble said, who specifically mentioned power skating back home in Grand Rapids, Michigan as part of his offseason itinerary.
He will also likely be present for his third development camp at the Flyers’ training facility in Voorhees, New Jersey, which usually occurs shortly after the NHL draft. Knuble said his first two camps left him impressed with the facilities and also allowed him to become closer with other Flyers prospects in the NCAA, such as Alex Bump (Western Michigan), Devin Kaplan (Boston University), and Owen McLaughlin (Penn State). Another familiar face may be present this year as the Flyers just signed undrafted free agent Karsen Dorwart, who competed against Knuble at Michigan State the last two seasons.
Once he returns to Notre Dame, Knuble figures to stay in close contact with Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong, whom he said he watches film and texts with consistently. A strong junior season for Knuble could lead to his entry-level contract, but it isn’t always linear. Another Irish forward, Landon Slaggert, was in a similar position to Knuble after two seasons, then had a wretched junior season, but bounced back as a senior in 2023-24 and signed his entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks (who took him in the third round in 2018) at the end of the season. Knuble’s had other teammates and friends turn pro and said he plans to consult with them when the time to sign comes.
The Big Picture
Cole’s upside probably isn’t as high as his father’s, who had five 50-point seasons (three with the Flyers). And it’s tempting to overlook him a bit because of that, especially on a Flyers team desperate for high-end talent.
However, a player like the one Knuble is projected to be has value for any contender. The Flyers traded away Scott Laughton at the 2025 Trade Deadline and could have a lot of turnover in their bottom-six in the next year or two. Whenever his time comes, Knuble is on the path to being ready for his opportunity. Like father, like son.
“It’s a lot of new faces too, so there’s definitely some familiar ones,” said Cole about Mike’s relationship with the Flyers organization. “But I think he’s just happy with that. He knows it’s a really good organization with good people.”
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