A huge loss for the Storm, with top blueliner Quinn Beauchesne choosing to head stateside despite the team's successful Memorial Cup bid.
NCAA commitments are always an unfortunate loss for OHL teams when a player leaves before his junior eligibility expires, but some tend to hurt more than others.
For the Guelph Storm, who are gearing up to host the 2027 Memorial Cup, key players departing their team sure does sting.
Quinn Beauchesne is the headliner here, announcing on his Instagram on Monday he'll be joining the Boston College Eagles, expected to be for the 2026-27 season.
Quinn Beauchesne with the Guelph Storm. (Photo: Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)While there's still no official confirmation, and nothing is done until it's done, Beauchesne leaving immediately is the expected scenario.
The Ottawa native posted 35 (7+28) points in 56 games with the Storm last season, his third with the team after being made a first-round pick in the 2023 OHL draft.
Beauchesne has always been a Hockey Canada favourite, and has competed with the junior national teams at the U17 and U18 levels, winning Hlinka and U18 worlds gold medals for Canada.
While his offence never took off at the OHL level, he's remained a steady two-way defender who can make plays, defend hard and get the puck moving in the right direction.
The Pittsburgh Penguins liked the 6-foot blueliner enough to make him a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft, and he was able to join the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an amateur try-out agreement following the conclusion of Guelph's season, playing a game while maintaining his college eligibility.
On the Storm's side, they're suddenly short a defenseman heading into a season where they want to be dominant. There will definitely need to be work done to get this team to Memorial Cup quality by the time next May rolls around.
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