Utah HC acquires No. 24 pick from Avalanche for No. 38, No. 71 and 2025 2nd rounder

As NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would say, “We have a trade to announce!”

Utah Hockey Club has acquired the No. 24 overall pick from the Colorado Avalanche for their No. 38 and No. 71 selection, as well as a 2025 second-round pick.

With the 24th overall pick, Utah HC selected forward Cole Beaudoin from the Barrie Colts. Last season, his second full campaign in the OHL, he scored 28 goals and 34 assists for 62 points in 67 games.

Earlier this month, Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis said Beautoin, a native of Kanata, Ont., was the most athletic player in this year’s draft, as well as complimenting how well he looked during the NHL’s Scouting Combine.

“He put up good numbers in the OHL with Barrie, but it was his play at the U-18s where he skated as a fourth-line center that he showed how physically dominant he can be while also killing penalties and causing havoc in front of the net,” Ellis said.

“He’s built like a tank and does an excellent job of hitting hard, and you could rely on him late in the game to still bring the energy. Beaudoin’s versatility will be fascinating to watch.”

Earlier in the draft, Utah HC selected center Tij Iginla. The Lake Country, B.C. native spent the entirety of his 2023-24 season with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, where he had 47 goals and 37 assists for 84 points in 64 regular season games.

Iginla also had nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 11 playoff games, tied for the team lead in scoring as the Rockets lost in five games in the second round to the Prince George Cougars.