With all the HEO skaters, a key theme was seeing how they fared against some quality teams from outside of the Ottawa area and how that impacted where they slot in on my rankings. With Beauchesne, I saw all of the same elements I've seen all season, but catching it all against teams like Don Mills and Elgin-Middlesex was enough to warrant his inclusion in my latest rankings. The smart puck management, tactical handling, and just making everything happen when he was on the ice were great to see against a new set of competition. I thought he did an excellent job controlling pucks on the outside of the zone, setting up offensive zone cycle sequences, and dictating the flow of the play within the offensive end. It didn't result to much on the scoresheet, with Carter only scoring one in the three games I watched off a rebound, but he was controlling the puck so well, fending off defenders, and making himself difficult to contain.

Back in the winter, I gave the Upper Canada Cyclones a few check-ins, but this was my first proper viewing of Beauchesne since turning the page onto the Ontario '09s and the 2025 OHL Draft. I came away very impressed with Carter's game as a tactical puck manager and how he operated with the puck on his stick. There was a methodical and calculated approach to every touch, and he always seemed to know exactly what was required to dodge a stick check and escape to safety. His whole impact revolved around this theme, as almost every time he touched the puck, he was weaving in and out of defenders and dominating possession for long stretches. His ability to problem-solve out of danger and escape pressure so easily, opened up so much time and space for him to operate, enabling him to thrive as a playmaker. Time and time again, Carter dodged a defender with a swift move, then swiftly connected on a pass to a teammate in scoring position and led HEO as one of their top playmakers. These players who manage the puck well and play with a cerebral approach to their game are always ones that I place a premium on, and my early impression is that's what Carter brings, which is a promising sign after only watching him a few times over the showcase.

Beauchesne has been the focal point of this Cyclones team whenever I've watched them, and that was again the case for the two games I saw in November. Almost everything flows through him, he manages the puck so well, always linking plays together and driving play with a high volume of smart decisions. He navigates the neutral zone so cleanly, relying on swift and methodical puck touches to dodge pressure and ensure transitions are completed with control. In a similar light, Beauchesne's playmaking game is the second most impressive element of his game, as he can spot complex passing lanes with ease, slip pucks through tight gaps, and distribute to teammates in scoring position all over the offensive zone. There are some moments where his high-end handling and confidence jump off the page, and Carter beats a defender one-on-one and dangles his way to the middle lane, showing flashes of high-end upside. The shot is there, he can score, and while the highlight-reel dekes are fun to see, this theme of smart decision-making, puck managing and playmaking is what I keep seeing as the focal point of Carter's game and what makes me excited about him moving forward.

Beauchesne was another player on Team Black that I thought was incredibly persistent without the puck, always tracking back, applying pressure, and forcing plenty of turnovers. Carter was always looking for ways to disrupt his opponent's breakouts and transitions, winning back possession countless times. With the puck, Carter played with his typical methodical and tactical lens, frequently picking apart the defence with well-thought-out passes to open teammates, namely hitting a trailing Buchman who blasted home Beauchesne's pass. Carter added two quality scoring chances in some of his final shifts in the third period, catching and releasing two passes from Walker on 2-on-1s that he just couldn't capitalize on. Carter didn't have his best game in my last view of the Cyclones from earlier in the month, so it was great to see him play back up to the level I'm used to seeing him perform at in the HEO All-Star game.

Beauchesne was one of the top performers on Team HEO back at the Draft Day Showcase, and I thought he was the Cyclones' top player on opening night. He was the forward who controlled most of the play and made everything happen offensively. There were no real "wow" moments; it was just a large sample of smart and tactical decisions to evade checks, advance play-up ice, and find ways to spark scoring chances. Especially within the offensive zone, Carter was difficult to contain down low as he used swift puck touches to spin off checks and navigate out of the pressure imposed by defenders. There were a handful of these sequences where he problem-solved his way out of a check and then threaded a puck to teammates in the dangerous parts of the ice. Carter showed some impressive flashes of him combining his high pace and hands dangling by defenders through the neutral zone, but most of my notes revolved around this theme of a tactical puck manager and playmaker. Beauchesne added one on the scoresheet late in the third when he initiated a clever cross-ice give-and-go sequence, snuck into open space, received a pass back and fired it swiftly into the back of the net. After such a positive first impression back at the Draft Day Showcase, it was great to see him continue to show well in league play and cement himself as a top player to watch in the HEO circuit this season.