The Bruins announced on Wednesday that they have signed 2019 first-round pick Johnny Beecher to an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) for the remainder of the AHL season.
Beecher was on the ice with the Providence Bruins Wednesday morning, according to New England Hockey Journal's Mark Divver.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said in a statement that the team and Beecher's agent, Cam Stewart, will continue to work towards finalizing his entry-level contract.
"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," Sweeney said.
"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."
That ELC would need to be finalized if Beecher were to play any games in Boston this season. If Beecher plays only in Providence, though, his ELC would not kick in until next season and he could remain on the ATO for this spring.
Beecher, whom Boston drafted 30th overall in 2019, wrapped up his junior season at the University of Michigan last week when the Wolverines fell to the University of Denver in the Frozen Four at TD Garden.
The 21-year-old Beecher is a 6-foot-3, 209-pound center. He had six goals and nine assists in 34 games this season while centering the third line on a Michigan team that featured six other first-round picks, including four of the first five picks in 2021.
The offensive numbers aren't very impressive, and were actually down slightly from his first two seasons at Michigan, but Wolverines coach Mel Pearson still had high praise for Beecher and his importance to the team last week.
“He’s been a real key for us here as of late,” Pearson said prior to the Frozen Four. “…I wouldn’t be overly concerned with the stats. It’s what he brings to our team, and what he brings is speed, physicality, he’s got good size, great on faceoffs. He’s taken more of a defensive role on the penalty kill and done a great job there. But he’s really given us another line that’s dangerous, and added to our depth. His development’s been good.”
Pearson praised Beecher's growth off the ice as well.
“He’s continued to grow not only as a player on the ice, but off the ice too,” he said. “He’s matured, and you can see that. Maybe last year I might have to calm him down on the bench a little bit. The other day I found him calming our coaches down a little bit. It’s been a reversal. He’s really grown in so many different areas, and he’s still young. He’s got a lot of good hockey in front of him.”
Beecher has had to deal with multiple injuries the last couple years. His 2020-21 season was cut short by a shoulder injury that required surgery. Shortly after returning to the ice last fall, he suffered a broken thumb that forced him to miss Michigan's first eight games this season.
Pearson said it took Beecher until the second half of the season to really fully find his game again. He had just four points in his first 13 games, compared to 11 in the final 21.
Beecher echoed some of his coach's sentiments, telling WEEI.com last week that he felt like his game "grew a lot" despite not putting up a lot of points.
“I think I grew a lot,” he said after Michigan's loss Thursday night. “Obviously it was tough coming off the two back-to-back surgeries and kind of just hopping right in mid-season, but at the end of the day, I think my game has grown so much -- physically, mentally, emotionally.”
Looking forward, Beecher doesn't really project as a top-six NHL forward at this point unless there's a major offensive leap to come. His size, skating, physicality and defensive ability could earn him a spot in the bottom six, though.
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