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.
Providence to Boston Bruins: Sizeable Forward Looking for a Bigger Role Next Season John Beecher
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.
After his last season at Michigan, he signed with the Providence Bruins immediately and finished the 2021-2022 season with them. He spent the entire 2022-2023 season in Providence to develop his game to hopefully earn him a spot with Boston the following season. That season, Beecher demonstrated his two-way, while still developing in the offensive zone. Beecher put up 23 points in 61 games with nine goals and 14 assists. Even though his impact offensively was slim, he was able to show the Bruins management his physical style and two-way play. Which is something they’ve been trying to add to the lineup.
The next season he was able to play 52 games with the Bruins. He also played in 12 playoff games this past season. He tallied two points and scored the first goal for the Bruins in the playoffs. Beecher was a key component to Bruins penalty kill that season, being able to win puck battles and have the best faceoff percentage for the entire team. Beecher’s stellar defensive play and physical presence was the reason he earned a roster spot. It was something the Bruins were looking to patch up in the bottom of their forward core.
The Opportunity
As mentioned in previous articles apart of this series, the Bruins have roster spots in their forward core up for grabs. Certain prospects who have tasted the NHL level such as John Beecher are looking for an increased role with the team for this upcoming season. Whereas other prospects in their system are looking to try and make their NHL debut next season. Beecher is a versatile forward who showed last season he is also capable of playing the wing. Beecher’s speed, for his size, is one of his biggest strengths. It allows him to make an impact in different roles, specifically with forechecking and backchecking. He can also use his speed to create transition for his team. Also, he creates separation in the gritty areas for more scoring chances.
Beecher showed this past season that he could be a valuable option with the team’s bottom-six forward core. Continuing to develop offensive consistency will allow Beecher to potentially be an important piece to the Bruins lineup. Beecher showing his value in the bottom-six of the teams’ lineup shows that he could have more of a responsibility next season.
Beecher could potentially slide into a third-line role either on the wing or at centre. He could also remain on the fourth-line and earn more shorthanded responsibilities because of his tremendous faceoff ability. He could even earn a spot on the second power play unit. Then, he would have the role of being in front of the net to use his size effectively. Beecher’s strong contributions to the team this past season gives the sizeable forward a chance to earn more responsibilities in the lineup for this upcoming season.
Main photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
