Never drafted and not of the finest pedigree, Beaton nonetheless made it to the NHL in a roundabout way. He played only a year of junior hockey, with Windsor in 72-73 and then signed with Flint of the IHL and moved on to Cincinnati in the WHA.
Beaton was later traded to Edmonton and Birmingham in the pirate league before drawing the interest of the New York Rangers who signed him on July 28, 1978. His time on B'Way, though, lasted just 25 games over two years before he was part of numerous trades with other NHL teams that resulted in no further NHL play. Calgary, the Islanders, and Minnesoa all acquired his rights, but all the time Beaton played minor pro until retiring in 1983.
