Former member of the Blackhawks ends his career following dispute and contract termination

In a surprising turn of events, former top prospect Nicolas Beaudin has signed a one-year deal with HC Sparta Praha in the Czech Extraliga.

The Montreal Canadiens placed the defenseman on unconditional waivers and terminated his contract through mutual agreement, as officially announced on Sunday.

Beaudin, 24, faced challenges in his stint with the Canadiens, not having played a single game since his acquisition from the Blackhawks in October 2022.

His AHL performance with Laval this season included 16 games, where he managed six assists and a +2 rating.


However, the limited playing time left Beaudin dissatisfied with his role, leading to the termination of his contract mutually with the team.

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Despite being a first-round pick by Chicago in 2018, Beaudin struggled to find consistent success at the AHL level.

His last NHL appearance dates back over two years to January 2022 when he played for the Blackhawks.

This recent move sees him departing from the fifth-best league in the world to join the seventh-best league in the world, according to global league rankings.