By: Declan Flavin | Follow me on Twitter / X @FlavinDeclan
Thinking back on forward Johnny Beecher’s rise and fall with the Bruins, all anyone will wonder is, what could have been? This player had the makeup and physical tools to contribute more from the time he was drafted by the Boston Bruins to now.
Skating at 6’3 and around 220 pounds, Beecher wasn’t going to be pushed around by just anyone coming out of the University of Michigan. Although his offensive numbers have never looked particularly great, even in college, with his collegiate season high in goals totaling just nine, there were fans and analysts who expected that he would grow into his body and become a long-term bottom or middle six forward. The above-average skating ability that he also possessed always made it easy for viewers to be sucked into his potential, but the reality of this tale is that it’s his usage of his skating, or lack thereof, that might have set him up for failure.
Although Beecher had the ability to cover a lot of ice and get vertical quickly, it was never an advantage he used consistently from game to game. This eventually forced Bruins coaches, both past and present, to refrain from starting Beecher consistently, even in a game of today’s National Hockey League that ironically embraces what this player could bring to the table.
Look no further than Head Coach Marco Sturm and his recent feedback on Beecher’s move to the Calgary Flames, who explained what was missing from the twenty-four year old, “Consistency, effort. I know it’s not easy being in and out of the lineup, but I have guys just waiting for this moment.” This wasn’t being said because Beecher wasn’t scoring every other night; it was clear that he simply continued using his skills in the most mellow way possible, quite frankly.
Can Beecher set things right with the Flames in a new system and a change of scenery? Sure, it’s always possible for a player moving on with the same tools in hand, but the choice has been his for some time now.
The Flames sit at 6-13-3 through 22 games, so he should at least get the nightly start to see if he can rebuild his value through game reps. It would mostly be frustrating for fans in Boston to see him succeed elsewhere, but there would also be something gratifying in seeing a modern player like that put it together. The Bruins will play in Calgary on December 29, so mark it down for now as the highly anticipated Beecher revenge game.
Its a real shame. I thought Johnny Beecher was a great Bruins hockey player name.