Jake Bean and Julien Gauthier will always be linked, fellow first-rounders.
Both were picked by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL draft, Bean a slick-skating, offensive-minded defenseman and Gauthier the quintessential power forward. Bean was the 13th overall selection and Gauthier the 21st. Both signed their entry-level contracts during the Canes’ prospects camp soon after the 2016 draft, their eyes on the NHL.
Two years later, Bean has just made his professional debut — with the Charlotte Checkers, the Canes’ American Hockey League affiliate. Gauthier has put in his first professional season — with the Checkers, not the Canes.