Cole Knuble’s first NHL goals came with a family chapter attached Wednesday night in Buffalo, where the Philadelphia Flyers rookie scored twice in a 3-1 win over the Sabres and then shared the postgame spotlight with his father, former NHL forward Mike Knuble.
Knuble opened the scoring in the first period at KeyBank Center, slipping a backhand past Buffalo to put Philadelphia ahead. His parents rose from their seats to celebrate the milestone, with Mike Knuble beaming as his son recorded the first goal of his NHL career.
The 22-year-old added another in the third period, finishing with a wrist shot to help the Flyers secure the two-goal victory.
A Flyers dream realized
The moment carried extra weight for Knuble, who grew up following the Flyers while his father spent five of his 16 NHL seasons in Philadelphia.
“It’s crazy,” Cole Knuble said during his interview with the NHL on TNT panel. “I’ve been a fan of this team my whole life and I’m just grateful to be a part of this organization. They’ve been great to me since the day I got drafted. I’m glad I can contribute.”
Asked whether the first goal matched the version he had imagined while growing up, Knuble called it “amazing,” though the rush of the moment left much of it blurry.
“I think I blacked out during the first one,” he said. “I think I went down on the knee. I usually don’t do that, but I’ve been dreaming about that my whole life. It’s pretty crazy, I don’t even know what to say.”
Mike Knuble savors the moment
Mike Knuble, who played 16 seasons in the league, was alongside his son for the televised interview after the final horn. The former Flyers forward said he was overwhelmed by the chance to watch Cole reach the NHL and score twice in his second game.
“My mind is spinning,” Mike Knuble said. “I’m going a million miles an hour right now. I’m just so happy to be here. I can’t even stand it. I can’t believe I’m standing here and we are having this conversation.”
Philadelphia selected Cole Knuble in the fourth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, then found the scoresheet in a much bigger way two nights later in Buffalo.
