Cole Beaudoin is rated among the top CHL players for the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft and he’ll have the opportunity to show exactly why next month in Moncton, N.B.
The Barrie Colts centre was one of 40 players selected Tuesday (Dec. 19) to compete in the 2024 Kubota CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game at the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick, on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
The second-year Kanata native, who was Barrie’s 10th overall pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, is having a breakout season with 14 goals and 12 assists for 26 points in 29 games and earned a B rating on the NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list released earlier this year.
While a young Colts team has struggled in the first half of this OHL season, Beaudoin is on a tear of late. After going scoreless in his first five games of the season, the six-foot-two, 206-pound forward has raked up eight goals and 10 assists over his last 15 games
“I’m just trying to help the guys out. I want to win,” Beaudoin recently told Barrie 360 before the OHL’s holiday break. “I’m a competitive person. I love to win. I don’t like to lose. I hate losing, and I just want the team to succeed. I’m going to do whatever I can to get the win, get the two points.
“I’m just working my butt off every single night, forechecking, backchecking, doing as much as I can to help the guys out.”
Beaudoin took to the ice for Team Canada this past summer and helped lead his country to a gold medal at the IIHF World U18 Tournament.
He is one of 18 OHL players selected to play in front of NHL scouts in an effort to improve their draft stock ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft which is scheduled for next June in Las Vegas.
Colts head coach Marty Williamson praised the play of Beaudoin, someone he said came to play every night.
“He sure does. The two guys that I can count on, him and Beau Jelsma,” said Williamson. “They come and play hockey every single night for me, and they carry a lot of guys. We need more guys like that, that are driving the play.”
Beaudoin’s invite marks six straight years the Colts have had a player compete in the CHL/NHL top prospects showcase. Beau Akey (2023), Hunter Haight (2022), Tyson Foerster (2020), Ryan Suzuki (2019) and Andrei Svechnikov (2018) were the others who participated.
Wasaga Beach native and North Bay Battalion B rated forward Ethan Procyszyn has also been invited to suit up in the top prospects game.
The 40 players will be assigned to either Team Red or Team White in the new year, while captains and alternates for both clubs will also be announced in January.
Former Saint John Sea Dogs and NHL head coach Gerard Gallant will serve as Team Red's honourary coach alongside Moncton Wildcats head coach Daniel Lacroix will be the team's bench boss.
Jim Hulton of the Charlottetown Islanders will be the Team White head coach, while Mike Kelly, who has over 30 years of coaching experience in the NHL, AHL, OHL, QMJHL, and U SPORTS, will be Team White’s honourary coach.
Since the event was first introduced in 1996, it has featured 16 players who were later selected first overall in the NHL Draft including former Colt and current Florida Panthers star blueliner Aaron Ekblad (2014).
The game will be shown live on TSN at 7:30 p.m.
