The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Flin Flon Bombers' loss is the Princeton Tigers' gain as Tyler Beachell is headed for NCAA action next season. The Tigers flew Beachell to their campus in Princeton, New Jersey recently to meet coach Guy Gadowsky, who indicated they wanted him to forego his final SJHL season. "I'm excited about going to Princeton," Beachell said, during a phone interview from Rosser, MB. "I'm going to miss Flin Flon and everything that comes with it. All my best buddies are playing there." Beachell had not made a decision during previous discussions with Bombers coach-GM Doug Stokes. However, Beachell learned that if he suffered an injury, he would lose his scholarship. "I couldn't risk not going," Beachell said. "I will definitely miss playing in front of the crowd at the Whitney Forum. It was a great experience and I believe the team has a chance to go far." Stokes is going to miss Beachell, too. His second leading scorer, Dalton Pajak, graduated from the league and now Beachell, his leading offensive threat with 69 points in 53 games, must be replaced. "It's good for our community and for him," Stokes said. "I'm really happy. That's what the game is about." Beachell said he believes he will be able to make the transition. He did it from midget AAA to junior, but he has no illusions and knows this next jump will be harder. "I'm working hard and looking forward to this new challenge," said the 6-2, 185-pound forward. Heading into his freshman year (first season) Beachell has been focussed on adding weight and knows he must improve his defensive play. When his season begins, Beachell's role with Princeton will be no different than with the Bombers. "We expect him to be a main contributor. He's a skill guy with size," Gadowsky said during an phone interview from Princeton. "It's a perfect opportunity for him. Not only will he play 5-on-5, but on the power play." The team thinks highly of their new star and he'd been on their radar for two years. "I like how he plays," Gadowsky added. "He has good vision." While Beachell knows what they expect of him, he knows he has to earn the chance to be a go-to-guy. "There's no guarantee. I might not even be in the line up," said Beachell, who is ranked 172nd and by the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau. "I'm just going to go in and do my best. I'm not expecting to be on the top two lines, but the goal is to get there." Playing in the U.S. collegiate level brings Beachell closer to the NHL, but that's not something he thinks about. "I'm not going into this expecting to make the NHL," Beachell explained. "I'm working towards hockey and school. The NHL would be an added bonus. I'm planning to leave with a Princeton degree." Beachell will try to make an impact on a Tiger team that competes in the ECAC hockey league and had a 7-12-3 record in conference play while scoring 62 goals. Overall, in 31 games, the Tigers were 10-18-3.
