Apr 27, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and center John Beecher (19) celebrate the win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the end of the third period in game four of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY
Two-way forward prospect John Beecher had a surprising impact with the Boston Bruins during his rookie season. The 23-year-old has the skating ability for his size to contribute at the NHL level for a long time. He also can bring a physical presence to a team. Beecher earned a spot with Boston for most of the regular season and during their playoff run this past season. He hopes for a bigger role where he can make an impact and not be sent down to Bruins’ AHL affiliate in Providence again.
Last season Beecher was a reliable fourth line gritty forward for the Bruins. Beecher will challenge other prospects such as Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov for the spot available in the Bruins forward core. With Beecher possessing the team’s best faceoff percentage last season and his stellar play on the penalty kill, management hopes for a similar, if not more of an impact, in the Bruins lineup this upcoming season. With a spot being open in the Bruins forward core, Beecher will battle other prospects for that final roster spot next season.
John Beecher is a 6’3” Bruins prospect from Elmira, New York who played college hockey at the University of Michigan. Before college Beecher played for the U.S. National Team Developmental Program. He was drafted 30th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins. During his time with NTDP, Beecher was able to put up 43 points in 63 games with 15 goals and 28 assists. He demonstrated his potential to play in the NHL while not having as big as a role with the team. He was the team’s third-line centre playing behind many dynamic prospects such as Jack Hughes, Matthew Boldy, Trevor Zegras, and more. However, Beecher was still able to contribute heavily to the team even with a limited role.
After his time with the NTDP, Beecher decided to go to the University of Michigan. He played there for three seasons to help develop his game for the next level. During his freshman campaign with the Wolverines, Beecher tallied nine goals and seven assists, for a total of 16 points in 31 games played. During his freshman year, Beecher contributed more in the defensive zone and showed his physicality to win puck battles. Although he didn’t contribute all that much in the offensive zone, he was still able to show offensive flashes. Specifically using his speed to create scoring chances for himself and his teammates.
Beecher dealt with injuries a lot during his sophomore season, causing him to only play 16 games. He showed how consistency in the offensive zone is something that he needed to improve for the next level. His final year with the Wolverines he tallied six goals and nine assists in 34 games played. Similar to the NTDP, Beecher didn’t receive a big role for the Wolverines. However, he was still able to show flashes of his potential, and how he could contribute at the NHL level.
