BOSTON (WHDH) - The Boston Bruins added an intriguing prospect in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, selecting center John Beecher with the 30th overall selection.
Beecher, 18, played for the United States Development Team Program of the USHL, scoring 6 goals and adding 14 assists in 27 games. Last season, Beecher had 9 goals and 16 assists in 34 games.
Beecher is 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds and hails from Elmira, New York. He also played for Salisbury School in Connecticut.
Beecher helped Team USA win a bronze medal at the 2019 U18 World Junior Championship, scoring 3 goals and adding an assist in 7 games. He also won gold at the 2018 U17 World Hockey Championship.
Beecher has committed to the University of Michigan for the 2019-20 season.
Boston elected to take the speedy centerman despite several skill wingers having dropped in the draft. The Bruins don’t have a second-round pick following the trade with New Jersey that brought Marcus Johansson to Boston at the trade deadline. The team’s next pick will be in the third round, pick 92, barring a trade.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)