Beaton played junior hockey in the Canadian Maritimes provinces from 1969 to 1971 and then played in Ontario for the Sarnia Bees and the Windsor Spitfires from 1971 to 1973. He was not drafted by any NHL team and turned pro with the Flint Generals in 1973-74. After playing another season with the Generals he signed as a free agent with the Cincinnati Stingers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1975. He also played for the Edmonton Oilers and the Birmingham Bulls in the WHA, playing in a total of 153 games and scoring 12 goals and 21 assists.