Kyle Beach

History

2005-06: Kyle Beach made a brief appearance with the Silvertips towards the end of the season.  Playing in just four games, Beach had three points (two goals, one assist).  Beach made an impact in the post-season though.  In nine games, Beach totaled four points (one goal, three assists) and 31 PIM.  

2006-07: Playing in his first full season with the Silvertips, Beach made his presence known.  He was third on the Silvertips in points with 61, third in goals with 29, fourth in assists, and first in both +/- (+27) and PIM (196).  He was a force on the power play, scoring 18 of his 29 goals on the man advantage.  He finished in the top five in the WHL in PIM, and led all rookies in that field.  He was the seventh leading scorer amongst WHL rookies.  Beach once again was a force in the post-season, leading all rookies in points with 11 (five goals, six assists).  Beach’s stellar rookie year was rewarded with the Jim Piggott, annually given to the WHL Rookie of the Year.

2007-08: Having the tough task of following up a Rookie of the Year season, Kyle Beach did not miss a beat.  He tallied 29 goals and 32 assists in 65 games along with 196 penalty minutes. He picked up 11 points in 11 playoff games last season, second on the Everett Silvertips to Peter Mueller (PHO). While his 61 points did not improve on last season's totals, scoring for the Everett team as a whole was off this season and Beach's emphasis on tough, physical play never waivered.  Beach also played in the CHL Top Prospect Game.

2008-09: Beach appeared in 30 games with the Everett Silvertips and recorded 9 goals, 21 assists for 30 points before being traded to the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The winger appeared in 24 games with Lethbridge and scored 15 goals, 18 assists for 33 points. He was held to 1 goal, 1 assist in 10 playoff games. Beach accumulated 165 PIMs over the course of his 54-game season.

2009-10: Traded to the Spokane Chiefs prior to the start of the season, Beach finished his final junior season with a league-leading 52 goals to go along with 34 assists and 86 points in 68 games. He also earned 186 PIMs during the regular season. In 7 playoff games with Spokane, Beach scored 7 goals, 2 assists for 9 points. He was named a First Team All-Star by the WHL. The winger was scoreless in 4 regular season games in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs but led the team with 3 goals in 4 AHL playoff games.

2010-11: Beach scored 36 points in 71 games as a rookie, finishing second among the team's first year players with 16 goals. He also earned 163 PIMs, including 11 fights, and a minus-24 rating, the worst mark on the team.

2011-12: Beach was limited to 19 games with AHL Rockford after suffering a shoulder injury in October that kept him out for 57 games. . Beach skated in the last 11 games of the season for Rockford; displaying both the scoring ability and pesky intensity of his rookie AHL season, when he had the second-most penalty minutes on the team. Beach scored 5 goals with 5 assists and was a much-improved even plus/minus with 30 penalty minutes.

 

Talent Analysis

Beach has good size and can use it, but he is not overly-aggressive in the physical game. The winger makes more of an impact by getting under the skin of opponents rather than running them through the glass. His heavy shot, nose for the net, and sound offensive instincts make him a good goal-scorer, particularly on the power play. His defensive game and consistency are still works in progress and one wonders where his head is at when he takes an ill-advised penalty, such as negating the power play with a penalty of his own.

 

 

Future

After missing a majority of the 2011-12 season, Beach will return to Rockford in 2012 with a top-nine role and power play time. Entering the third season of his entry-level contract, a look in Chicago is not out of the question. Although he has not yet lived up to expectations, the Blackhawks are short on physical forwards and could find Beach's skillset and temperament desirable.