Bruins fans tuning in to the World Junior Championship later this month won't get to watch 2019 first-round pick Johnny Beecher.
Beecher wasn't on Team USA's final roster announced Saturday morning, and his father told the Boston Globe that Beecher's final COVID-19 test came back positive earlier Saturday morning.
Beecher's father adds that his son took another rapid test a few hours later when he returned to the University of Michigan campus and it came back negative. Unfortunately, under IIHF rules, one positive test is enough to disqualify a player.
Several teams have had players and/or staff test positive over the last week, leading to speculation that the tournament -- the biggest annual showcase for under-20 players -- may not happen at all, but as of now it is still set to begin Dec. 25 in a bubble environment in Edmonton.
Beecher, a 6-foot-3 center, was on the U.S. team in last year's tournament and was hoping for some redemption this year. Last year's squad finished a disappointing sixth, and Beecher had zero points in five games.
Barring any setbacks, Beecher will resume the season with Michigan after the holidays. He has a goal and an assist in eight games so far this season after registering nine goals and seven assists in 31 games as a freshman last year.
Two other Bruins prospects will be playing in the World Junior Championship. 2019 fifth-round pick Roman Bychkov made Russia's final roster, while 2019 sixth-round pick Matias Mantykivi is on Finland's.