Bruins Prospect John Beecher Invited to Team USA Training Camp for WJC

Bruins prospect John Beecher was named to the preliminary roster for Team USA’s 2021 World Junior Championship team.

For the second straight season, Boston Bruins high-touted 2019 first-round draft pick John Beecher was named to the Team USA preliminary roster for the 2021 World Junior Championship Monday afternoon.

With that announcement, Beecher, selected 30th overall in 2019, will head to training camp beginning Sunday, Dec. 6 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. that lasts through Dec. 13, just 12 days before the tournament is scheduled to begin. Team USA is expected to announce the roster on Dec. 13, prior to them departing to Canada for the beginning of the preliminary round.

Beecher is one of 17 forwards invited to attend. He was a member of Team USA at the 2020 WJC where he played in five games without registering a point.

If Beecher makes the Team USA roster, he will be suspended for the first game of the tournament following a penalty he received for hitting Finland’s Eemil Erholtz along the boards in the second period of last season’s Quarterfinal Round game which Team USA lost 1-0. Since Team USA was eliminated, his suspension would carry over to this year’s first preliminary round game.

The 6-foot-3 and 209-pound Beecher has good size and strength and provides a good net-front presence. He is in his sophomore year at the University of Michigan where he has one goal in six games for the 4-2 Wolverines. He will play in Michigan’s two games this week at Penn State on Wednesday and Thursday before leaving for Plymouth. Last season as a freshman, he had nine goals and seven assists in 31 games.

Providence College coach Nate Leaman is the head coach of Team USA and he will be assisted by Harvard University head coach Ted Donato, Michigan assistant coach Kris Mayotte, and Ohio State associate head coach Steve Miller.

The 2021 IHF World Junior Championships will be held in Edmonton, Alberta from Dec. 25-Jan. 5.