After selecting center Tij Iginla with the No. 6 pick earlier in the first round of the NHL draft, Utah Hockey Club wasn’t done for the night yet on Friday.
General manager Bill Armstrong saw center Cole Beaudoin still on the draft board and knew he had to act, making a trade to jump in front of the Boston Bruins to select the 6-foot-2, 209-pound center with the 24th pick.
“His work ethic might change the culture of our organization, just how hard he plays the game,” Armstrong said.
Utah’s NHL franchise entered the night with just one first-round pick but acquired the second via trade with the Colorado Avalanche to select Beaudoin, their second center selection of the 2024 draft.
Utah traded the No. 38 and No. 71 picks in this year’s draft, plus a 2025 second-round selection, to its Rocky Mountain neighbors for the No. 24 selection.
“New franchise ... second-ever pick and it’s incredible just to even think about that. I can’t wait. Can’t wait to see everyone,” Beaudoin said.
Beaudoin totaled 62 points — 28 goals and 34 assists — last season for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, the highest tier of junior league hockey in Canada.
He also won gold for Canada at the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships alongside Iginla, his new Utah teammate, dishing out two assists and scoring two goals during Canada’s run.
“His work ethic and how he plays the game, I do believe that he is going to be a huge piece of our culture on how he attacks every moment of the game with his work ethic,” Armstrong said.
“He’s an impressive kid. He’s built like a Utah player should be built, I think, in some regards. He is a big kid that works and doesn’t give an inch away on that ice.”
Like Iginla, Beaudoin comes from an NHL family. His dad, Eric, played in 53 games for the Florida Panthers before a career in Europe and even spent 44 games with the Utah Grizzlies in the 2001-02 season.
His uncle, Nic, also played in the minor leagues.
“I think he’s just excited. He is excited for me, he’s just proud of me,” Beaudoin said of his dad. “He’s just telling me since a young age just to work hard, so that’s something that I try to do in the rink and outside of the rink, so he’s definitely been there for me and I’ll definitely have a good chat after when I see him.”
Utah is getting a “two-way player” in Beaudoin, someone who is skilled both offensively and defensively. He is physical, strong, aggressive and hard-working, and is always around the puck and is skilled in winning puck battles. He’s willing to do the dirty work while also being adept at playmaking and shooting.
“I want Utah to know that I’m going to be that player that gives it everything I have,” Beaudoin said. “If that’s just in practice, in games, whatever it might be, I’m going to give it everything I have and I want to show them that.”