Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Nathan Beaulieu has retired from professional hockey, as announced by the NHLPA.

Beaulieu, 32, was selected by the Canadiens with the 17th overall pick of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. From there, he played his first five NHL seasons with the Canadiens from 2012-13 to 2016-17, posting seven goals, 53 assists, 60 points, 152 penalty minutes, and a plus-19 rating in 225 games.

Beaulieu's time with the Canadiens ended during the 2017 NHL off-season, as he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a 2017 third-round pick. From there, he had stints with the Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, and Anaheim Ducks. In 471 career NHL games over 11 seasons, he had 12 goals, 86 assists, 98 points, and a minus-14 rating.

Beaulieu's last season in the NHL was in 2022-23 with the Ducks. He then played his final two professional seasons overseas. During the 2023-24 season, he played for Kloten HC of Switzerland's National League, where he had two assists and a minus-6 rating in 13 games. He then played eight games this past season with Barys Astana of the KHL, recording one assist, 12 penalty minutes, and a minus-5 rating. After being released by Barys Astana, he signed with HC Nove Zamky in Slovakia but did not play in a game for them due to injury trouble.

Insider Shares Big Update On Canadiens Star Trade Target The<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens"> Montreal Canadiens</a> are one of the teams that have been connected to Calgary Flames star forward Nazem Kadri. It is easy to understand, as the Canadiens are in need of a second-line center, and acquiring Kadri would provide them with just that.

Former Canadiens First-Round Pick Announces Retirement