Kris Beech

Did You Know?

• During the offseason, Beech is a guest instructor at the Sicamous Hockey School in Sicamous, British Columbia.
• Since 2017, Beech has worked as a mindfulness training coach with various hockey teams and organizations, including the Vancouver Giants and Delta Hockey Academy.
• Beech founded Aimability, a performance and health network, in 2017.

Playing career

Kris Beech was taken seventh overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1999 NHL draft, at a time when he was skating for the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL. In July 2001, the Capitals sent him, along with Michal Sivek, Ross Lupaschuk, and future considerations, to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Jaromir Jagr and Frantisek Kucera. Over 79 games with the Penguins, Beech put up 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. Unhappy with how he was developing, Pittsburgh traded him to the Nashville Predators on September 9, 2005, for a conditional draft pick. He returned to the Capitals organization on March 9, 2006, when he and a first-round pick were dealt for defenseman Brendan Witt. Washington sent him down to the Hershey Bears for their AHL playoff run, and he helped the Bears win the Calder Cup over the Milwaukee Admirals.

On January 10, 2008, the Vancouver Canucks claimed Beech off waivers from Columbus. After just four games with Vancouver, in which he scored one goal and added one assist, he was placed on waivers again on January 23, 2008, and claimed by the Capitals. Before he ever played a game for Washington, the Capitals put him on waivers, and the Penguins picked him up—making him his fourth team in January alone. On October 10, 2008, Beech signed a one-year contract with HV71 of the Swedish Elitserien, joining the club three days later. He earned a two-year extension with HV71 on April 28, 2009. Before the 2009–10 season, on September 4, 2009, he inked a six-week loan deal with HC Genève-Servette, scoring two goals in eight games before returning to HV71 on October 14, 2009.

On May 25, 2011, Finnish team Lukko Rauma announced Beech had signed a one-year contract. After that season, he moved to Czech club HC Pardubice on a one-year deal on June 25, 2012. During the 2012–13 season, on December 4, 2012, he transferred to AIK of the Elitserien for the rest of the year. For the 2013–14 season, he went to Germany to play for the Straubing Tigers in the DEL, notching 24 points in 36 games before moving to the Vienna Capitals of the Austrian EBEL for their playoff run. On July 3, 2014, he stayed in the EBEL, signing a one-year contract with HC TWK Innsbruck.