Prout is a solid, responsible, aggressive, stay-at-home defenseman who makes excellent use of the size advantage he brings to the ice.

A native of LaSalle, Ontario, the 6-foot-3, 230-pound Prout played his junior hockey for three Ontario Hockey League teams - Sarnia, Barrie and Saginaw - and was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the sixth round (No. 154) in 2010 NHL Draft.

Prout spent his first three seasons in the pro ranks shuttling between Springfield of the American Hockey League and the NHL, eventually making his NHL debut on March 30, 2012, against the Florida Panthers.

Prout recorded his first NHL point, an assist, on March 19, 2013, in a 4-3 victory against the Nashville Predators, and scored his first NHL goal on April 18, 2013, during a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

That goal was one of the highlights for Prout during a season in which he played in just 28 NHL games but produced seven points (six assists) and led the Blue Jackets with a plus-15 rating.

Prout finished with three goals and nine points and 102 penalty minutes in 64 games in 2015-16 and was signed to a two-year contract extension on March 25, 2016.