The Trois-Rivières Lions, already lacking depth on the blue line, are grappling with the loss of Quebec defender Alex Breton.
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Beauceron, 25, told the ECHL school club the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday that he had accepted an offer of a contract in Europe.
To protect his rights at the circuit should he return to North America, general manager Marc-André Bergeron has suspended Breton.
“Leaving the Lions was not an easy decision,” admitted the main prospect, whose comments were reported on Twitter by the side, who play at Colisée Videotron.
“I loved my time with the team but I couldn’t ignore such a great offer in Europe. I thank the fans and my team-mates who made my time at Trois-Rivières very enjoyable.”
We don’t yet know where Breton will develop on the old continent. He had spent two seasons in Slovakia’s first division between 2020 and 2022, wearing the colors of Banska Bystrica HC 05 and SK Slovan Bratislava.
Last June, the Lions agreed on the terms of a one-year pact with Breton. He was also loaned out to the Belleville Senators for 11 American Hockey League games.
In 30 matches with the Trois Rivières team, the former Gatineau Olympiques scored seven goals and 25 points, making him the most productive guard in the squad and the team’s third-best scorer.