The U.S. National Team Development Program selects some of the best young players in the country with the goal of developing them in their system. It has shown some great results in the past with many NHL players coming from the program.
But it’s not always the star producers of the team that have the best professional careers. Due to the amount of talent that is present in the organization most years, some high-potential young players are forced to contribute in depth roles and get less opportunities to shine.
John Beecher is one of those prospects. His 34 points in 63 games don’t stand out from the US Under-18 pack, but his production has to be put into context.