At the start of the 2021-22 hockey season, Amherst captain Carter Beckwith and assistant captain Nick Paul were tasked with finding a second assistant captain to round out the group.
It didn't take long for the two seniors to come to an agreement. They wanted Cooper Beckwith, Carter's younger brother and a promising player, but he was only a sophomore.
They came to Amherst head coach Mike Rousseau with their request. It was denied. Beckwith was too young, Rousseau said.
“Rous, this kid is going to be your captain one day,” Carter said. “Maybe we should start him now.”
Carter didn't win the argument with Rousseau, but Beckwith wore the “A” on his jersey last year as a junior and will follow his brother in wearing the “C” this season at Amherst. Ta. Beckwith, who attends Hopkins Academy, racked up a team-leading 22 points this year, leading Amherst to a 12-7-1 season, the best mark of his high school career.
For his efforts, Beckwith was named the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Ice Hockey Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.
Rousseau has coached Amherst, Agawam, Longmeadow and Cathedral for decades and said Beckwith is one of his top three captains of all time. The coach and his family marveled at Beckwith's calm presence and ability to teach the game. They see him as a future coach.
“He just played the game of hockey the way I would want almost every kid in Division III hockey to play,” Rousseau said.
“I wish he was on my team,” Easthampton coach Tim Fau said. “…When I was playing, I thought I looked like Cooper.”
Beckwith began skating at age 3 and accompanied Carter to practice. He has always looked to his older brother as a model.
“A lot of what I did was the same as what he did,” Beckwith said. “I loved watching him play hockey and following in his footsteps.”
Beckwith comes from Amherst youth hockey and played for the Western Massachusetts Vipers. He got some playing time as a freshman at Amherst, but Rousseau said it wasn't clear early on whether he would be special. He was thin and had not yet hit his growth spurt. But during his sophomore season, when his older brother was a senior captain, Beckwith began to shine.
Beckwith could instantly recognize a situation on the ice after seeing it once. Carter said he was a “sponge of knowledge” who could always think while skating.
“I've literally seen players go, 'How did they make that pass?' That's impossible,” Carter said. “He understands things that other players don't.”
As he earned more playing time, he gained more respect from his teammates.
“I had already seen it,” Carter said. “I looked at not only him, but the people around him. As a sophomore, I could tell he was born to be a leader on that team.”
Once, a player was frustrated with his lack of playing time. They openly voiced their desire to play in front of certain players. Cooper talked to him and set it straight.
At other times, Carter said, his freshman linemate got “so full of himself” that the team should have played through him more. Carter talked to his players and Beckwith made sure to do the same. Again, they got it right.
Although the team struggled, Beckwith remained optimistic.
“It was always, 'Hey, coach, you're going to be better next week, next game,'” Rousseau said. “I really referenced that as a coach.”
Especially as he became a senior, Beckwith became the de facto coach on the ice. During his junior season, Amherst's captain was goaltender Charlie May, so Beckwith was typically responsible for being the team's primary voice from the center ice position.
He frequently gave Rousseau suggestions to make the team better. Although Rousseau did not accept all suggestions, he worked with Beckwith to change some aspects of Amherst's tactics. Beckwith thought their power play needed some work, and the two worked to change that. Coach Beckwith thought Amherst's forecheck was too conservative, so he tried to keep it open and give the Hurricanes scoring chances.
And Beckwith was always on the front lines at practice to help Amherst's young players. If a new student didn't understand a drill, Beckwith would be the first to pull him aside and patiently explain it to him. If he needed to pull out a whiteboard and create a play, he did it. At youth hockey tryouts, Beckwith also helped out at the front of the skating line.
For all of these reasons, Rousseau, Carter and Beckwith's father, Tom, say Beckwith is the perfect addition to the coaching ranks.
“I think it’s very rewarding for him,” Tom Beckwith said. “He has the right mentality.”
Beckwith has no coaching experience but would like to get into it.
“I always think coaching is really fun,” Beckwith said. “Being able to mentor the younger generation and make them better is definitely something I want to consider going forward. Put myself in their shoes and try to help them have an even better career than mine.”
Beckwith said he wants to teach children between the ages of 15 and 16, which is when skills development and individuality begin. Carter sees him coaching at all age levels. Rousseau agreed – Beckwith has an open offer to help Amherst practice next year if he stays in the area. Rousseau thinks he could be a great youth coach, even if it wasn't for high schoolers.
“If you put him in a youth team with eight, nine, 10-year-old kids, they'll have a good laugh,” Rousseau said. “They're going to have a tough time, but he's going to be a great coach. will be my favorite coach.”
Whichever level Beckwith ultimately chooses, or indeed if he chooses to become a coach, he is proud of his time with Amherst hockey.
“I'm definitely going to look back excited and happy that I was able to make last season my best season,” Beckwith said. “It certainly makes me a little sad when I look back sometimes because I loved playing Amherst hockey. It was such a great time. The coaches, the team, I love the team and everything about it so much. I will miss it, but… I’m excited to move on to other things and will always be grateful to Amherst Hockey.”
