After more than a decade in professional hockey, former NHL defenseman Nathan Beaulieu is heading to Boca Raton as the new head coach of Florida Atlantic University’s Division Il hockey club. The former first-round draft pick takes over a program coming off a 2026 College Hockey South DII Championship.
Beaulieu was drafted 17th overall by the Montreal Canadians in 2011, and played eleven seasons in the NHL as a defenseman, playing 471 games, scoring 12 goals and totaling 86 assists.
Following his NHL retirement, Beaulieu joined Saint Mary’s University as an assistant coach, gaining valuable coach experience that he will use as he becomes the newest coach of the FAU DII Hockey Program.
“I’m excited to join FAU Hockey and become part of a program that has established a strong culture and a commitment to excellence,” Beaulieu said in FAU Ice Hockey’s press release. “I look forward to working with these student-athletes, helping them develop their skills, and building a team that competes at a high level every time it takes the ice.”
The FAU Ice Hockey team has steadily been building success, coming off a 2025 AAU DII National Championship, and a 2026 College Hockey South DII Championship.
Their 2026 season ended with four straight victories between the CHS playoffs and the DII regionals, before their national championship campaign fell short with two losses to the University of St. Thomas and Utah State University in St. Louis.
There’s generally a feeling of excitement within the roster for the new hiring. Assistant Team Captain and Team Secretary Emilio Stabile echoed those sentiments. Stabile totaled five goals and six assists in 21 games played last season.
“The excitement level is very high right now especially since our new coach is bringing tons of professional experience to the organization. Speaking for myself, I am pretty hyped up since I grew up in Montreal watching Coach Beaulieu play for the Montreal Canadiens,” said Stabile.
It’s fair to wonder if Beaulieu would need a possible adjustment period, with him being a first-time head coach and joining a team that’s been previously successful, however, team president Nicholas Oliverio didn’t think so.
“Coach Beaulieu gained a lot of experience last season as he was the assistant coach of Saint Mary’s University in Canada. I believe that he will have a smooth adjustment period as he transitions into his position at FAU,” said Oliverio.
As for their play on the ice and how the team is feeling, Stabile shared thoughts regarding the new hiring.
“I think that having a coach who has seen all the ins and outs of hockey at the highest level will definitely help the team become more well-rounded in all aspects of the game,” Stabile said. “I am certain that Coach Beaulieu will help the team elevate all aspects of the game such as skills, positioning, and physicality.”
After past success, Stabile also spoke about whether there’s pressure on the club this upcoming season.
“Our past two seasons have been very successful because we worked extremely hard and each person in the organization dedicated endless time and effort,” Stabile said. “Obviously, there is some pressure because expectations are quite high for us, however if we work even harder than we did the last two seasons, I am sure we will have success.”
Ultimately, FAU ice hockey has built principles of hard work that Coach Beaulieu hopes to use his NHL experience to build off of.
“He is an incredible addition to our club,” said Oliverio. “Having played at the highest level in the world he will be able to provide us with the professional mindset and knowledge to help bring our team to the next level.
“The team is extremely thrilled to welcome Mr. Beaulieu and we are all looking forward to next season,” said Stabile.
Coach Beaulieu will look to take the program to new heights as FAU Ice Hockey’s 2026-2027 season begins in the fall and runs until late March.
Mikai Datilus is the Sports Editor for the University Press. Email him at [email protected] or DM him on Instagram @mikaidat for more information on this and other stories.
