( Photo Credit: John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images )


By: Mark Allred  |  Follow Me On Twitter @BlackAndGold277
Boston Bruins 2019 first-round draft pick John Beecher is off to a fantastic start to his collegiate hockey career. In five games thus far for the University of Michigan, the 18-year-old Elmira, New York native has four points in five games to begin his freshman year in the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Big Ten Conference. After posting his first career point with an assist in last Friday’s 4-0 victory over Lake Superior and a double helper the following night against the same Lakers club he went into last night’s contest against Western Michigan on a two-game point streak and thirsty for his first career goal.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
As seen in the official University of Michigan Wolverines Twitter Account above, at the 5:25 mark of the first period in a non-conference game against Western Michigan the wait for his first was finally over. With his first of many in last night’s contest at the Yost Ice Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan the B’s prospect extends his career-high point streak to three games and tied for first in the Wolverines team points at four. Fellow linemate and Bruins prospect Jack Becker who leads Michigan in goals is off to a great start to his Junior year also streaking in points with numbers in his last three games.
Both Wolverine forwards Becker and Beecher have worked well together to start the 2019-20 NCAA campaign after third-year Michigan Head Coach Mel Pearson put the pair together on the third line. Below is a Michigan Hockey official Tweet of an interview with Wolverines Assistant Coach Kris Mayotte and his thoughts after the former Bruins first-rounder got his first goal of the season.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
I know some Boston Bruins fans and prospects enthusiasts are frustrated to see Beecher playing a bottom 12 role but he’s a freshman with a lot to learn as he grows and develops. Having the will to do what it takes and learn what all forward lines can bring at any part of a hockey game is instrumental in today’s progression and climb to higher levels. For instance, Bruins prospect Jakub Lauko is a highly-touted prospect in the system and is currently playing in his first year as an American Hockey League rookie with the Providence Bruins and has constantly seen time on the third and fourth lines.
If you think about how recalls work in certain situations especially when it comes to an injury with the parent NHL Bruins club, it creates an upshift with the recalled player often seeing time slotted in the bottom six. Preparing players for these types of roles comes from the lower levels of the organization’s system and their roles on those same lines with the minor-pro affiliates. Now I know the NCAA and American Hockey League coaching styles are seemingly different but what Assistant Coach Mayotte said in the interview above (Pharaphasing Here), Beecher has time to grow and with that time he’ll earn bigger roles as he continues to develop.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
The Wolverines are back at it with another non-conference game against Western Michigan this time on the road tonight in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the Lawson Arena. Michigan has an overall season record of 3-1-1 with a .700 winning percentage and scoring 14 goals in those games while giving up seven

Check out the new Black N’ Gold Prospect Podcast episode 003 that we recorded on 10-23-19 below! You can find our show on many worldwide platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/701261359″ params=”color=#ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]

Please subscribe to our new Black N’ Gold Hockey YouTube channel! We’d really appreciate the continued support. Click HERE for exciting Black N’ Gold online content!