John Beecher Bio
John Beecher is an American professional ice hockey player who is a center for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted 30th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2019 NHL entry draft. He played college ice hockey for the Michigan Wolverines men’s ice hockey team from 2019 to 2022.
Early Life and Background
John Beecher was born on April 5, 2001, in Elmira, New York, to parents Bill and Natasha. Although his parents were collegiate athletes, they did not play ice hockey. His father played lacrosse and golf at Elmira College while his mother ran track and cross-country at Union College. Beecher began ice skating when he was six years old after spending the summer playing roller hockey and immediately made the local travel team. Beyond ice hockey, Beecher also played soccer, football, baseball, and lacrosse. Beecher and his older brother Bryce played together until 2015 when his brother had to get his hips replaced due to congenital hip dysplasia.
Path to Hockey
John Beecher was drafted 30th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2019 NHL entry draft but committed to play for the University of Michigan during the 2019–20 season. He was suspended one game for headbutting on February 3, 2020. Despite this, Beecher had a solid freshman season with Michigan, scoring nine goals and seven assists. However, both the 2020 Big Ten tournament and the 2020 NCAA tournament were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ending the season early. Beecher started off the 2020–21 season where he left off, scoring four goals and four assists in 16 games. However, on February 28, 2021, it was revealed that Beecher had undergone shoulder surgery for a lingering injury and would miss the rest of the season. Fully recovered from his injury, Beecher played a full junior season at Michigan, scoring six goals and nine assists for 15 points. He helped Michigan win the 2022 Big Ten tournament, securing an auto-bid in the 2022 NCAA tournament, where Michigan reached the Frozen Four before falling to the eventual champions, the Denver Pioneers.
John Beecher Career
Early Career (2022–Present)
On April 13, 2022, John Beecher decided to forgo his senior season at Michigan and signed an amateur tryout contract with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, for the remainder of the 2021–22 season. He contributed with five points through the remaining nine regular season games and made two post-season appearances with one point for Providence. On May 16, 2022, Beecher was signed to a three-year, entry-level deal with the Boston Bruins. Beecher impressed in training camp, earning a spot on the NHL roster to start the 2023–24 season for the Bruins. He registered his first NHL point with an assist on a Brad Marchand goal against the San Jose Sharks. On November 6, 2023, Beecher scored his first NHL goal in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Incidentally, Bruins rookie defenseman Mason Lohrei, who had played college hockey at Ohio State University, regarded as one of Michigan’s rivals, scored his first NHL goal a few minutes after Beecher. On January 20, 2024, Beecher was sent down to Providence. He was called back up to the Bruins for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, making his playoff debut in Game 1 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, where he scored his first playoff goal and point on his first playoff shift.
Breakthrough (2024–2025)
John Beecher hoped to build off his first NHL season and impressed to start the 2024–25 season. Playing on the fourth line with newcomers Cole Koepke and Mark Kastelic, Beecher found instant chemistry, scoring five points in the first five games of the season, including his first career multi-point game with a goal and an assist against the Panthers on October 14, 2024. However, Beecher soon went cold, resulting in him being scratched on November 16 against the St. Louis Blues in hopes of gaining a spark. Although he returned to the lineup the game after, Beecher could not reignite his early season success. Starting December 1, 2024, Beecher produced only one goal and four assists for the rest of the season. Beecher’s struggles were indicative of the Bruins’ team success, as they ended up missing the playoffs. He finished the season with three goals and eight assists in 78 games. In the following 2025–26 season, Beecher was unable to replicate his fast start to the previous season, appearing as a depth forward for the Bruins and registering just one goal through six games over the opening month of the season. On November 17, 2025, Beecher was placed on waivers by the Bruins and was subsequently claimed the following day by the Calgary Flames.
John Beecher Award Nominations
Throughout his career, John Beecher has not received any notable award nominations.
John Beecher Awards Won
John Beecher has not won any awards during his professional ice hockey career thus far.
