( Photo Credit: Andre Ringuette / NHLI )

By Carrie Young | Follow me on Twitter @carrieyoung512

Today, Boston Bruins prospect John Beecher was announced as a member of Team USA’s preliminary World Junior Championship roster. The young forward will be battling in training camp to earn a spot on the final roster alongside quite a few other NHL prospects. With the preliminary roster including 29 players and the final roster trimming down to 25, there will be a handful of cuts before the tournament begins.

Beecher is in his second season playing NCAA hockey at the University of Michigan. He recorded nine goals and seven assists in 31 games during his freshman year, good for fourth on the team in total points. He has been off to a slower start for the Wolverines this year, with one goal in six games. However, he has been able to show off his speed and tenacity and earned a spot with Team USA’s elite under-20 players.

Beecher was drafted 30th overall by the Bruins in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. He played for the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2017-2019, then committed to the University of Michigan. He also appeared for Team USA in the 2020 World Junior Championship but did not record a point in five games.

The 2021 World Junior Championships will be held between December 25th and January 5th in Edmonton, Alberta. The schedule and locations have been minorly changed due to the pandemic, but the tournament is going on as planned. Team USA will open the tournament against Russia on Dec. 25th at 9:30 p.m. EST.