After growing up watching the Wild, Jack Peart is ready for his first chance of playing for the Wild.
ST. PAUL - Wild prospect Jack Peart remembers growing up in Minnesota watching guys like Marc-Andre Fleury play NHL games and current Wild captain Jared Spurgeon play games in a Wild sweater.
The Grand Rapids, MN., native is set to play in his first ever game with the Wild, tonight. It will be against the Winnipeg Jets in Minnesota at the Xcel Energy Center.
At morning skate on Friday, Peart was working on shots from the point. He was firing pucks in the direction of Fleury with Kirill Kaprizov standing in front of the net redirecting the shots.
“I mean, it's so cool. You watch those guys on TV from when I was a kid. Watching guys like Fleury and Spurgeon, and now to get to be on the ice with them, it's definitely eye opening," Peart said. "It's just so cool. I have to pinch myself some days, because it's just amazing.”
Peart, 21, played three years at St. Cloud State University after playing three years at Grand Rapids High School. He was named the 2021 Minnesota Mr. Hockey and Reed Larson Award winner.
The Mr. Hockey award is given annually to the most outstanding high school boys’ hockey player and the Reed Larson award is given to the league's top defenseman, respectively, in the State of Minnesota.
After winning both awards, the Wild drafted Peart in the second round of the 2021 Draft with pick No. 54.
In his first season at St. Cloud, Peart had two goals and 17 points in 32 games. He followed that up with three goals, 21 assists, 24 points and was named All-NCHC Second Team honors.
He was also named as a NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year finalist, solidifying his position as one of the best blue liners in the conference and was named to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament team after helping the Huskies win a Conference Championship.
Peart improved on his defensive game following his Sophomore season and played in all 39 games for the Huskies during his Junior season.
“I think he [Brett Larson] really grew my defensive side of the game and kind of just put that into perspective, that I have to grow that side of the game if I want to keep moving up levels," Peart said. "Him and Dave Shiyak were definitely hard on me, but I thought it was great for me to grow and become a better player.”
After his Junior season ended, the Wild signed Peart and sent him to Iowa where he played in nine AHL games with the Iowa Wild. In those nine games, Peart recorded one goal and one assist.
“It was huge for me, great to kind of experience the pro style of hockey and get to meet some of the guys who are in the organization," Peart said on playing in those nine games. "I think it just made this year and training camp so much easier with already knowing the staff and some of the guys in the locker room.”
It wasn't an easy transition from NCAA hockey to the AHL but Peart quickly fit right in showing off his two-way game at the pro level.
Considering he was in College every year, Peart didn't get to go to any Wild training camps so this year is his first. Picking the brains of NHL veterans and picking up little tidbits of what NHL guys do has helped the young defenseman so far.
“I’ve learned lots. It's been great," Peart said about his first camp. "I was definitely nervous coming into it not know what it's going to be like, but yeah, I think just learning stuff every day from some of the older guys and the guys who are in the show every day. Just kind of take their little habits and what they do every day and kind of learn from that and use bits and pieces of it in my game.”
Peart understands he needs to keep growing his defensive game to be a good defenseman in this league and that is something he continues to try and improve on.
The 5-foot-11 defender spent his summer training in St. Cloud before returning to St. Paul to work with the Wild's skating coach and some of the other Wild players who stayed here.
“I think closing in on the D zone. Just getting quicker with that and closing time and space. That's the biggest thing you can't give up in this game so being a little quicker and closing in a little faster.”
Nonetheless, the journey has led the Minnesota native to tonight. Peart will suit up and play in his first game in a Wild sweater. Something he has dreamed of for quite some time.
“For sure. Like I said, I grew up as a kid wanting to be someone on the Minnesota Wild," Peart told The Hockey News. "So this is kind of the first step of that tonight. So it's gonna be a lot of fun.”
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