Freshman forward Johnny Beecher has been suspended for Michigan’s game on Friday night against Wisconsin, per a release from the Big Ten.
Early in the second period Saturday night’s 4-1 loss to Ohio State, Beecher was involved in a scrum around the Buckeyes bench and received a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for head butting an Ohio State player. The Big Ten has added a suspension Friday night as supplemental discipline.
Through 22 games this season, Beecher is third on the team in points with 12, seven goals and five assists. His seven goals rank second on the team and he leads all freshmen in points with one more than freshman defenseman Cam York.
Of late, Beecher has been centering a line with senior forward Will Lockwood and freshman forward Nick Granowicz. Michigan coach Mel Pearson put the line together at Notre Dame in the first weekend of the second half and it has produced six goals in six games since then.
Without Beecher on Friday night, Pearson may turn to players like graduate transfer Jacob Hayhurst or redshirt junior Luke Morgan to fill his gap, both of whom have played center in the past but now play on the wing.