John Beecher will head back to Michigan later this month, ready to play his junior season and eager to put behind a sophomore campaign cut short in February by shoulder surgery.
Beecher, the Bruins’ first-round pick (No. 30) in 2019, explained Monday that he tore his shoulder labrum during a practice last August as the Big Blue tuned up following a 2019-20 season truncated by the pandemic.
“I’d just gotten back to school last August and we were doing a battle drill,” recalled Beecher, among the first on the ice at Warrior Ice Arena for the opening sessions of the Bruins’ five-day development camp in Brighton. “A freak accident — my arm got stuck in one of the guys, and he kind of pulled one way and I pulled the other.”
Beecher, 20, is a speedy, 6-foot-3-inch, 210-pound center with only 47 NCAA Division 1 games on his development arc. A solid season back in Ann Arbor could set him up to turn pro in the spring, but he’d also be facing the option of returning to school for his senior season, after which he’d have his choice of signing with the Bruins or becoming an unrestricted free agent in August 2023.
The Bruins in 2019 were drawn to Beecher because of his combination of fluid stride and speed rare for such a big body. Charlie Coyle, the same size and weight, is the only pivot on their varsity roster with the same heft, and he might line up this season as the No. 2 center now that David Krejci has returned to the Czech Republic.
Just how Beecher projects with the Bruins remains a mystery, in part because the challenges he has faced getting on the ice the last two seasons.
“Skating well, like usual,” said Jamie Langenbrunner, the club’s director of player development, sizing up Beecher’s game to date. “Had a bit of a broken-up season, and a tough one.
“I think his team next year will have a bit of a target on its back and it will be a great opportunity for him to play under that scrutiny and pressure of a team that should contend for a national title. He’ll be a big part of that and we’ll see where we go from there.”
A camper with pro experience
Defenseman Brady Lyle, who spent last season with AHL Providence, is among the few kids in development camp who can boast pro experience. Lyle, 22, signed as a free agent with the WannaBs this past April (25 games: 7-7—14) after playing five OHL seasons with North Bay and Owen Sound.
Because he was never drafted, Lyle over the years was free to accept invites to any of the NHL development camps, though Boston never offered.
“No, never had the opportunity,” said Lyle, “but I went to three dev camps before, with Ottawa, Arizona, and Anaheim.”
The three camps, said Lyle, provided him with valuable experience that he’ll try to build on this week.
“I was a lot younger, kind of wide-eyed walking into them all, had never seen an NHL facility or anything like that,” he said. “Just being around some high-end prospects, and taking the advice from some of the best strength coaches, athletic therapists, hockey coaches … being at those camps I learned a lot every time.”
McQuaid a welcome resource
The first surprise in camp was the new kid, Adam McQuaid, among the seven on-ice instructors. The ex-Bruins defenseman, who last played in the NHL in 2018-19 with the Blue Jackets, joined the group as a consultant.
“He doesn’t have a formal role,” said Langenbrunner. “I think Adam was around a little bit last year and is continuing to try to figure out what makes sense for Adam, and we were lucky enough to have him available this week and have him come down and be around some of our guys.
“We’ll see where it goes both for Adam and for us. I think he’d be a welcome addition to any role. He has a lot of experience in a lot of different areas, and he’s a great human begin, to boot.”
McQuaid, 34, wore a smile that rivaled the expanse of the Zakim Bridge his entire time on the ice. He has been home in Prince Edward Island most of the summer.
Also on the ice with Langenbrunner and McQuaid: Mike Dunham, Chris Kelly, Kim Brandvold, Trent Whitfield, and Ryan Mougenel.
Krejci signs with old club
Some 72 hours after announcing Friday that he was returning home in part to continue his playing career in front of family, Krejci signed Monday with HC Olomouc, the same Czech club he played for in his mid-teens.
Krejci, 35, said he wanted to return home for his two children to experience a childhood similar to his and to be able to play in front of family members.
Olomouc is in eastern Czechia, approximately 125 miles east of Prague, and only some 60 miles from the Slovakia border. Olomouc this past season finished 12th in the 14-team Extraliga, collecting only 24 regulation wins.
Krejci was born in Sternberk, Czechia, roughly 15 miles north of Olomouc, and was drafted by the Bruins in 2004 after playing a season in Kladno.
Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at kevin.dupont@globe.com.