Bruins Lohrei and Beecher ready to build on promising seasons

Bruins

“I feel like I’m just getting started.”

As he helped distribute hundreds of backpacks, folders and binders at TD Garden in anticipation of the new school year, Johnny Beecher became aware of the painful reality that typically occurs at this time of the calendar.

“It was always kind of crazy when you were a kid and you knew the school year was starting again – you went to Target with your mom and they had the back-to-school stuff – you just put your head down and realized reality was setting in again,” Beecher said with a smile Thursday at the back-to-school celebration at TD Garden.

Of course, returning to school wasn’t all that bad for Beecher (and he doesn’t just say that because his mother Natasha still teaches high school English back home in New York).

For the Bruins forward, the beginning of fall marked the start of a new year with some of his closest friends – and the beginning of another season on the ice.

And similarly, that feeling still holds true this fall for Beecher and fellow sophomore Mason Lohrei as they prepare for another season with Boston.

“I felt pretty good about my play in the playoffs,” Lohrei, who also attended the event with Beecher on Thursday, said of his rookie season. “And obviously there are still a lot of things I want to work on. So I’ve been trying to tackle those things this summer – but this playoff run has only made me hungrier for what’s to come.”

Overall, Lohrei and Beecher were two of five Bruins to make their NHL debut in the 2023-24 season, with the duo securing spots on Boston’s blue line and in the checking unit, respectively.

Those roles are only likely to grow for Boston next fall, especially after both skaters gain some experience, endure the expected growing pains, and make several trips to Providence as rookies.

“I think at the beginning of the season, not a lot of people really expected me to make the opening night squad and make an impact,” Beecher said. “I did that, which was huge for me and my confidence. And of course, there were some ups and downs.”

“I was sent there for a short time, but I felt like I handled everything really well. I spent my time in Providence working hard, staying focused and getting my game back to where it needed to be to come back here and help the team at the end of the season and in the playoffs. And I did that.”

Lohrei – who showed off his coveted combination of size and playmaking ability in 41 games on defense last season – is well ahead of his projected development timeline.

Once considered a long-term project for the 6-foot-5 offensive defenseman, Lohrei held his own against the Panthers’ forechecking stronghold during the playoff season, serving as a promising stepping stone to what could be a full-time role on Boston’s defensive line this season.

Although Lohrei may begin the year on the third line after signing fellow left-shooter Nikita Zadorov in the offseason, Don Sweeney emphasized in July that Lohrei should see starting time on Boston’s second power play unit this year.

“That means a lot to me,” Lohrei said of Sweeney’s comments. “It’s definitely a confidence booster when you hear stuff like that. Still, it’s nice to get those opportunities, but it means nothing if you don’t go out there and perform. So just focus on the little things and try to make the right plays.”

Lohrei’s focus this offseason has been to add more muscle mass to gain more playing time, while Beecher’s focus as he enters his second year with Boston is to develop a more consistent game.

Beecher’s face-off ability (54.6 percent), skating ability and size (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) all fit the mold of a fourth-line starter with plenty of room to improve, especially alongside a group of other big-framed skaters like Max Jones, Mark Kastelic and Justin Brazeau.

Both Lohrei and Beecher are expected to be regular starters on Boston’s revamped 2024-25 roster, but Lohrei has his sights set even higher for his first full season in the NHL.

“I feel like I’m just getting started,” Lohrei admitted. “I just have to keep going every day, take it day by day and just come to the rink and get better and learn as much as I can. I just have to keep gaining confidence. I want to be a full-time NHL player, so that’s my goal for the season. I want to be a top defenseman.”