Nicolas Aubé-Kubel

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (born May 10, 1996) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays under contract for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Flyers in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

Early life
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel was born in Slave Lake, Alberta, but moved to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec with his mother Annie at the age of two. Aubé-Kubel and his sister Alex-Anne began skating shortly after the move. Alex-Anne became a strong figure skater, participating in national and international competitions, while Aubé-Kubel practiced ice hockey and speed skating. He was cut from both his Pee-Wee and Midget minor ice hockey teams, but developed a strong offensive repertoire on the ice.

In 2011, the École secondaire Fernand-Lefebvre in Sorel-Tracy attempted to recruit Aubé-Kubel for their burgeoning junior ice hockey program, but he elected to play for the Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois of the Quebec AAA Midget Hockey League. The Gaulois posted the best record in the league during the 2011-12 season, bolstered by 11 goals and 13 assists from Aubé-Kubel, for a total of 24 regular-season points. In 11 playoff games, he scored an additional seven goals and nine assists.

Amateur
The Val-d'Or Foreurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) selected Aubé-Kubel in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2012 QMJHL draft. As a 16-year-old rookie during the 2012-13 season, Aubé-Kubel scored 27 points in 64 games, made up of 10 goals and 17 assists. His point production nearly doubled the following year, with 22 goals and 31 assists in 65 games during the 2013–14 season. Aubé-Kubel, who played on the second offensive line, spent the season honing his defensive skills and increasing his physical strength. The Foreurs won both the Presidents' Trophy and the QJMHL Championship title that season, but fell short of capturing the Memorial Cup.

After the 2013–14 season, Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) selected Aubé-Kubel in the second round, 48th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He signed an entry-level contract with the team on October 2, 2014, after appearing in a preseason game with the Flyers.

Aubé-Kubel returned to the Foreurs for the 2014-15 season. After losing top scorers Anthony Mantha, Louick Marcotte, and Guillaume Gelinas during the offseason, the team asked Aubé-Kubel to play on the top line and focus on his offensive abilities. After a strong start to the season, scoring 14 points in the first 13 games of the year, he was sidelined with a knee injury from a November collision. When Aubé-Kubel returned to the team later in the month, he struggled to regain his momentum. Once he did, he proceeded to score 28 goals and 80 total points for the regular season, with half of his goals coming between December 6 and March 21, the end of the regular season. He helped take the Foreurs into the playoffs, putting up 10 points in the first few rounds and advancing over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. The team ultimately fell in the semifinals to the Rimouski Océanic.

Professional
On October 2, 2014, Aubé-Kubel agreed to an entry-level contract with the Flyers. He spent the 2014-15 season with the Foreurs. On April 4, 2016, Aubé-Kubel was assigned by the Flyers to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

During the 2017–18 season, Aubé-Kubel was suspended three times for hits to the head. He was suspended twice in March and for three games during the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs in May.

After attending the Flyers 2018 training camp and playing in preseason games, Aubé-Kubel was reassigned to the AHL to begin the 2018–19 season. On October 28, Aubé-Kubel was recalled to the NHL for the first time in his professional career. He made his NHL debut on October 30, 2018, against the Anaheim Ducks. He went on to appear in nine scoreless games for the club.

On July 16, 2019, the Flyers re-signed Aubé-Kubel to a one-year, two-way contract extension. On December 24, 2019, he scored his first career NHL goal in a 5–1 win over the New York Rangers. He finished the season with 5 goals and 3 assists in 26 games.

On September 17, 2020, the Flyers signed Aubé-Kubel to a two-year, $2.15 million contract extension.

Personal life
Aubé-Kubel's cousins, T.J. and Thomas, also play hockey. T.J. plays professional hockey for the Guildford Flames in the Elite Ice Hockey League.

Aubé-Kubel's older sister Alex-Anne is a professional figure skater.