Utah Hockey Club select Cole Beaudoin No. 24 overall in 2024 NHL Draft

Some players are square pegs that have to fit into square holes to crack a team’s lineup. Not Cole Beaudoin. The center was one of the more versatile prospects in the 2024 draft class and projects to be a useful Swiss Army Knife for the Utah Hockey Club.

On Friday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, the Utah Hockey Club selected select Beaudoin, a 6-foot-2, 206-pound center in the first round, No. 24 overall.

Competing in his second OHL season with the Barrie Colts in 2023-24, Beaudoin experienced quite an offensive leap. He was a 20-point player a year ago; he had 28 goals and 62 points in 67 games this past season, adding another five points in six playoff games with Barrie.

Yet the scoring feels almost like a bonus feature for a player who does many things effectively. He brings a well-rounded package as a prospect. At 18, he’s already built like a full-grown man, which helps him win physical battles along the boards. He’s considered a strong leader who is willing to sacrifice his body for success – and he’s known to have a conscientious two-way game with absolutely dogged backchecking determination. Beaudoin is thus wired to play up or down in an NHL team’s lineup someday. He has the offensive acumen to be a potential star, but his floor as a prospect is also quite high because he plays a mature, team-friendly game that will endear him to coaches.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis singled Beaudoin out as one of Canada’s better players at the Under-18 World Championship this season, calling him “a bottom-six threat who did just about everything.” Beaudoin also had a strong showing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup last summer. Next up on his international bucket list would be a spot with Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championship.

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