Tortorella Confirms this player played through a broken foot

Throughout last season and into this season, there have been numerous instances of Tortorella addressing the media, where he consistently expressed his happiness with Cates' performance and how well he has played.

Unfortunately, Cates's season has been cut short by 6 to 8 weeks, as confirmed today by Tortorella, citing a broken foot.

One intangible quality that Cates brings to his game, which Tortorella admires, is his attention to defensive hockey. As most Flyers fans know, defensive hockey is ingrained in the DNA of John Tortorella, and as the teacher of the game, he emphasizes this as Rule #1 to his players.

Losing Cates will be a significant blow to their organization. Before his injury, Cates had been struggling a bit on the offensive side, a concern that Tortorella had noticed. In 21 games, he scored one goal with three assists, totalling four points and registering a -3.

Last season, he had a career year, scoring thirteen goals with 25 assists for 38 points and a +3. This setback will likely pave the way for Morgan Frost to become a mainstay on the Flyers' roster, expected to fill Cates' role.

The Flyers will be at home for their next game when the New Jersey Devils visit, with the game scheduled for November 30th at 7:00 PM Eastern.