Michigan’s Beecher at home in Garden
B’s prospect playing in Frozen Four tonight
Michigan center Johnny Beecher received deferential treatment when the Wolverines arrived at TD Garden on Wednesday afternoon for an abbreviated practice on the NHL ice sheet.
Michigan will engage Denver in a battle of college hockey’s two regal programs in the opening game of the Frozen Four semifinals tonight (5) at the Garden. Michigan holds the record with nine NCAA championships while Denver is second with eight.
Minnesota will encounter Minnesota State in the nightcap slated for 8 p.m. The championship game will be played on Saturday with an 8 p.m. faceoff.
Michigan is the top seed in the tournament and that elevated status comes with select visitation rights, most notably the use of the Boston Bruins’ locker room. Beecher was the Bruins’ firstround pick (30th overall) in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and he could be adorned in black and gold in either Boston or Providence in the aftermath of the Frozen Four.
“Beecher is excited,” said Michigan head coach Mel Pearson during a post-practice press briefing. “They’ve been bugging him all week about letting him pick out the first stall when we get into the locker room.
“Johnny has had a really good year for us. He was injured the first part and he’s really come on. He really adds a lot to our team, has really accepted his role and thrived on it.
“He’s a good player, has a bright future. I know he is fired up to be here. We’ve got a lot of pictures of him in the locker room already.”
Beecher played in 33 games this season with six goals, nine assists, 61 shots and a plus-3. In three seasons in Ann Arbor, the junior from Elmira, N.Y., has played in 80 games with 19 goals, 20 assists and a plus-14.
While his scoring stats don’t overwhelm, at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, Beecher plays a heavy game with a Big 10 attitude and that’s what makes him NHL ready in the opinion of his teammates.
“Johnny brings great size, a great attitude and just being a great guy all the time,” said fifth-year senior Mike Pastujov. “It’s obvious that he’s not having the points streak or goal streak that he wants (but) you don’t see him pouting about it.
“He’s one of the hardestworking guys in the game and I think this year he brought a big physical aspect to his game. Guys are scared to line up across from him.
“I think that’s going to help him once he plays in the next level. I think he should be not moving from his stall once we leave this weekend. I think he should stick around a bit.”
Pastujov might have tipped his hand on Beecher’s post-Frozen Four career plans. Michigan senior Jimmy Lambert concurred with Pastujov’s assessments while adding a few intangibles that line up with the Bruins’ way of doing business.
“He’s got a pro frame,” said Lambert. “We all love him in the locker room, he’s a pretty infectious guy, he’s pretty funny.
“He carries that on the ice, he’s a leader. He’s going to be successful here in Boston in the future.”