There aren’t many better ways to spend your summer than winning a gold medal.
That’s what
Cole Beaudoin got up to this past offseason – in August, he and 12 other
OHLers helped Team Canada capture the 2023 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Břeclav, Czech Republic and Trenčín, Slovakia.
For many hockey fans, the annual tournament serves as a first look at the top under-18 players in the world ahead of many of their NHL draft-eligible seasons.
For Beaudoin, it served as an opportunity to continue to build upon the momentum he had finished the 2022-23 OHL campaign with – the rookie had climbed up the Barrie Colts lineup throughout the final few months.
Beaudoin began the tournament on the fourth line in Canada’s opening game against Finland. It took just ten seconds for him to notch his first goal.
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Cole is the son of former Guelph Storm forward Eric Beaudoin, who enjoyed a 16-year professional career after a tenure in the OHL that included winning the J. Ross Robertson Cup in 1998.
Eric
offered further insight into his son’s motivation to Peter Robinson of
Barrie Today:
“He just really wants to be a hockey player,” he explained. “All he does is work – when his friends are out on a Friday night, he’s at home, resting for the next day’s (work).”
“He’s always by my side, helping me watch video and find little things to work on in practice,” said Cole of his father.
Having a dad who played at a high level can certainly help a player understand the intricacies of the sport on the ice, but it also means knowing how hard you have to work off the ice. Eric – who himself was 6-foot-5, 210 pounds – is undoubtedly aware of how much of an asset the physicality of Cole’s game can be.
Like many athletes, the Beaudoins set up a home gym during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think that’s kind of where my strength came from,” said Cole. “I was just in the gym a lot, working, getting stronger.”
Since businesses have reopened, the 17-year-old has been working with Adam Bracken, owner of The Fitness Lab.
“Getting faster is what we’re aiming at this year.”
At Colts training camp, the players all participated in a 2.2-kilometre run. Beaudoin won by 34 secods. He also led the way on the bench press machine.
“Obviously, I want to be a big part of this team,” said Beaudoin when asked about taking up a leadership position in the dressing room. “I want to be a huge player.”
“I want to help the team win games and do whatever I can to get the team in the win column.”