Beecher Leaves Michigan, Joining Boston Bruins Organization

BOSTON – A week after Johnny Beecher finished out his college hockey season with the University of Michigan at TD Garden during the Frozen Four, Beecher will be sticking around Boston and the Boston Bruins organization.

Beecher and his Wolverines teammates actually got to use the Boston Bruins dressing room and get the NHL feel while in Boston last week.

Don’t worry @NHLBruins we’ll take good care of the locker room this week!#GoBlue〽️ #FrozenFour pic.twitter.com/CE9JgVTrBX

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) April 6, 2022

The 21-year-old Beecher will be leaving Michigan and the college hockey world, and the big center will be signing an amateur tryout contract with the Providence Bruins to begin his professional hockey career. Beecher will play for the P-Bruins while the Boston Bruins and Beecher’s camp put the finishing touches on an entry level contract that both sides are currently hammering out, and the Bruins haven’t ruled out Beecher as a possible option for the big club during the playoffs.

“Johnny Beecher has made the decision to leave Michigan and the Bruins are excited that Johnny will immediately begin his professional career with the Providence Bruins,” said Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. “We are appreciative to Mel Pearson and the Michigan coaching staff as they did a great job with his overall development. The Bruins and Johnny are leaving all options open with regards to his availability for the remainder of this season and playoffs. We will continue to communicate with his agent, Cam Stewart, while Johnny starts to play games and as we work towards finalizing his ELC.”

Beecher finished up his Wolverines career with six goals and 15 points in 34 games to go along with 41 penalty minutes as the 6-foot-3, 210-pound center brings a physical style along with the size, strength and raw skating speed that made him a Boston Bruins first round pick (30^th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Clearly the offensive numbers haven’t been there for Beecher in a college hockey career that has some wondering if he’s going to wind up a bottom-6 forward at the NHL level, but there’s also no question that his fast, physical style of play might also find a better setting in the professional hockey world.

Beecher continues a string of Boston Bruins signings in the college hockey market as they range from Boston College captain Marc McLaughlin, who scored again for the Boston Bruins in Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Blues, to current P-Bruins players like Brandon Bussi and Providence College defenseman Mike Callahan.