John Beecher says he was just starting to find his game, before being bitten by the injury bug.
But after missing all but one of the Flames’ 2026 tilts, Beecher is back and ready to pick up where he left off as his Calgary squad returns from the Olympic break.
Beecher took up fourth-line centre duties at each of the Flames’ first two post-break practices, skating on a unit with Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka, the trio offering a bit of consistency in what Beecher admits has been a bit of a tumultuous year.
“It's definitely been a weird year for me,” Beecher said after stepping off the ice after Thursday’s skate at WinSport. “Started off in Boston, wasn't really getting into many games, and then, you know, came out here.
“I felt my last couple of games, I was really kind of finding my game. I had a conversation with coach before my last couple games there, (it) kind of sparked a little something in me and, you know, really kind of got it going.”
Beecher was injured early in that Jan. 3 contest against the Nashville Predators, but to his point, the 12:59 of ice-time he logged in the previous contest - a 5-1 New Year’s Eve win over the Flyers at the Scotiabank Saddledome - was the most playing time he skated in a game since being picked up off waivers by Calgary in mid-November.
But in the almost seven weeks (and 15 games) since suffering that knock - sustained in a scrap with Predators d-man Nicolas Hague - he’s made sure to put the recovery work in, while also treating the Olympic break as a bit of a mental reset.
“The staff, and everybody did an amazing job keeping me up, and in shape and everything when I was hurt,” said Beecher. “Then (we) obviously got to the break, and I was able to kind of get away, you know, recharge a little bit mentally as well.
“Super-excited to be back. Feels like forever since I've been in a game. So, you know, get through this little camp we’ve got here and then hit the ground running.”
That sprint to the finish begins next Thursday night in San Jose, when the Flames open a three-game California road trip that also includes weekend stops in L.A. and Anaheim.
Just 26 games remain in the regular season, meaning for Beecher, there are 26 more regular-season chances to make an impression. The Elmira, N.Y. product is a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and he’s cognizant of the fact that a strong finish to the campaign might well pay off.
“I mean, you’ve got a lot of guys that are trying to prove themselves, you know, whether it's contract years and stuff like that,” he offered. “Everybody wants a strong finish for the fans and the city.”
And as he took his strides around the WinSport playing surface, the 24-year-old had to not only be relieved to be past this latest hiccup in his 2025-26 campaign, but also eager to get back to work, and back to game action.
For Beecher, next week’s flight south to the Bay Area can’t come soon enough.
“We’ve just got to go out there and see what we can do,” he said. “We're gonna do everything we can this week to get ready.
“By the time we're down in California, we'll be good to go.”
