Nicolas Aubé-Kubel Bio
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who currently plays for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on May 10, 1996, in Slave Lake, Alberta, he has built a journeyman career across the league, suiting up for seven different NHL franchises. He is best known for winning the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022, and he has developed a reputation as a hard-working, physical forward who can also contribute offensively. Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing roughly 213 pounds, Aubé-Kubel combines skating speed with a willingness to play a tough, north-south game.
Early Life and Background
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel was born in Slave Lake, Alberta, on May 10, 1996, but his family relocated to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, when he was two years old. It was there, alongside his mother Annie, that he first stepped onto the ice. He and his sister Alex-Anne began skating shortly after the move, with Alex-Anne eventually becoming a strong figure skater who competed at national and international levels, while Nicolas pursued ice hockey and speed skating through local minor programs.
His early hockey path was not without setbacks. He was cut from both his Pee-Wee and Midget minor ice hockey teams,挫折 that pushed him to refine his offensive game. By 2011, the École secondaire Fernand-Lefebvre in Sorel-Tracy tried to recruit him for their junior program, but he opted to play for the Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois of the Quebec AAA Midget Hockey League. With the Gaulois, he posted 11 goals and 13 assists in 24 regular-season games during the 2011–12 campaign, then added seven goals and nine assists across 11 playoff contests, helping his team post the best record in the league.
Path to Professional Hockey
Aubé-Kubel’s strong midget season drew the attention of major junior scouts, and the Val-d’Or Foreurs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) selected him seventh overall in the 2012 QMJHL Draft. As a 16-year-old rookie in 2012–13, he scored 27 points in 64 games, and his production nearly doubled the following year with 22 goals and 31 assists in 65 games. During that 2013–14 campaign, Val-d’Or captured both the President’s Cup and the QMJHL Championship, though they fell short of the Memorial Cup.
On the strength of his junior play, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Aubé-Kubel in the second round, 48th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He signed an entry-level contract with Philadelphia on October 2, 2014, after appearing in a preseason game. He returned to Val-d’Or for two more seasons, including a 2014–15 year in which he posted 28 goals and 80 points before a knee injury temporarily slowed him, and a 2015–16 campaign in which he served as an assistant captain and recorded 84 points in 61 games, highlighted by a 15-game point streak between November and December.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel Career
Early Professional Career (2016–2018)
After the conclusion of his final junior season in 2016, Aubé-Kubel was assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for their last six regular-season games, scoring two goals and one assist. His first full professional season in 2016–17 was a learning year, as he managed just nine goals and 18 points in 71 AHL games. Flyers general manager Ron Hextall explained that Aubé-Kubel was still adjusting to a league that demanded a much higher level than junior hockey.
Aubé-Kubel returned to the Phantoms for the 2017–18 season and showed major improvement, finishing with the eighth-highest even-strength point total in the AHL at 43. However, his physical play drew discipline, as he received three AHL suspensions for illegal head checks and racked up 86 penalty minutes, the highest single-season total of his career. During the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs, he was suspended three games for an illegal hit in the division finals against the Charlotte Checkers, a series the Phantoms won before falling to the Toronto Marlies in the Eastern Conference finals.
Philadelphia Flyers Era (2018–2021)
Although he attended Flyers training camp in 2018, Aubé-Kubel was sent to the AHL to start the season, where he posted three goals and four assists in eight games before receiving his first NHL recall on October 28, 2018. He made his NHL debut two days later on the fourth line with Scott Laughton and Jori Lehterä against the Anaheim Ducks. After only nine games and limited ice time, he was returned to the Phantoms, finishing the year with 16 goals and 30 points in 54 AHL contests.
Following a contract extension in July 2019, Aubé-Kubel became a regular in the Flyers’ lineup by December 2019 and settled into a fourth-line role alongside Michael Raffl and Nate Thompson. He scored his first NHL goal on December 23, 2019, in a 5–1 victory over the New York Rangers, and finished the pandemic-shortened 2019–20 campaign with seven goals and eight assists in 36 games. He carried that momentum into the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs in the Toronto bubble, scoring twice in the round-robin win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, though Philadelphia was eliminated in the second round by the New York Islanders. His 2020–21 season marked a regression, as his penalty minutes ballooned to 44 and he managed just three goals and 12 points in 50 games.
Colorado Avalanche Era (2021–2022)
After a slow start to the 2021–22 season, the Flyers placed Aubé-Kubel on waivers on November 12, 2021, and the Colorado Avalanche claimed him. He debuted for Colorado on November 17 in a 4–2 win over the Vancouver Canucks, and two days later he registered his first goal and point as an Avalanche in a 7–3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Playing on a deep Avalanche roster, he became a fixture on the fourth line with Tyson Jost and Darren Helm, finishing the regular season with career highs of 11 goals and 23 points in 73 games.
In the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avalanche swept the Nashville Predators in the first round, with Aubé-Kubel registering 19 hits in the series. Although he saw limited time in the later rounds, he skated in 14 postseason games as Colorado defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to claim the franchise’s first championship since 2001. Following the on-ice celebration, Aubé-Kubel gained additional fame for accidentally dropping and denting the Stanley Cup while carrying it to the team photo.
Toronto, Washington, and Buffalo Era (2022–2025)
As a free agent in July 2022, Aubé-Kubel signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he went scoreless in six games and was placed on waivers on November 4, 2022. The Washington Capitals claimed him the next day, and he scored his first goal as a Capital on January 5, 2023, in a 6–2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. He signed a one-year extension worth $1.225 million in March 2023 and appeared in 60 games during the 2023–24 season, recording six goals and 16 points.
On July 1, 2024, Aubé-Kubel signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Buffalo Sabres for the 2024–25 NHL season. On March 7, 2025, Buffalo traded him to the New York Rangers in exchange for Erik Brännström. He was initially assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, before being called up to the NHL roster on March 24, 2025.
Minnesota Wild Era (2025–Present)
On July 2, 2025, Aubé-Kubel signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 with the Minnesota Wild, beginning with the 2025–26 NHL season. He has been assigned to the Iowa Wild, Minnesota’s AHL affiliate, while remaining under contract to the parent club. The move provides him with an opportunity to compete for a steady NHL role on a contender while continuing to offer leadership and physicality at the minor-league level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Aubé-Kubel is recognized for his straight-line speed, strong eye-hand coordination, and willingness to engage physically along the boards and in front of the net. Coaches have praised his ability to play a disciplined fourth-line role, while also capitalizing on offensive opportunities when given top-six minutes, as he did during his breakout 2014–15 QMJHL season and his career-high 2021–22 campaign with Colorado.
Notable Events and Milestones
His most celebrated career moment came on June 26, 2022, when he lifted the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. He also owns the unique distinction of denting the iconic trophy during the on-ice celebration, a mishap that became a viral highlight. Additional milestones include scoring his first NHL goal on December 23, 2019, and appearing in the 2020 NHL bubble playoffs with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Aubé-Kubel was raised primarily by his mother, Annie, who moved the family from Slave Lake, Alberta, to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, when he was two years old. He grew up alongside his sister, Alex-Anne, who became a competitive figure skater, and the two siblings began skating together shortly after the family’s relocation. His cousins, T. J. and Thomas Foster, also play professional ice hockey, with T. J. having most recently appeared with the Guildford Flames of the Elite Ice Hockey League and Thomas skating for the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Ooks.
Personal Life
Public details about Aubé-Kubel’s personal life remain limited, and he tends to keep his family and relationships away from the spotlight. He is known to be a Canadian national, and his professional commitments have taken him across North America, including stops in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ontario, and the state of New York.
2025 Season Performance
Nicolas Aubé-Kubel began the 2024–25 NHL season with the Buffalo Sabres after signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract as a free agent. Although he contributed as a depth forward in Buffalo, the team opted to reshape its roster, and on March 7, 2025, Aubé-Kubel was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Erik Brännström. Following the trade, he was initially assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, before earning a recall to the NHL roster on March 24, 2025.
His late-season stint with the Rangers provided a fresh opportunity to compete for a bottom-six role and to showcase his physical, two-way style on a competitive Metropolitan Division roster. Following the conclusion of the campaign, Aubé-Kubel reached free agency and signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 with the Minnesota Wild on July 2, 2025, setting the stage for his 2025–26 season split between the NHL parent club and the Iowa Wild of the AHL.