The Wild announced today that they have signed defenseman Jack Peart to an entry-level contract.
St. PAUL - After falling 5-4 to Denver in overtime last Friday, Jack Peart's junior season has come to an end. With that, the Wild have agreed on a three-year entry-level contract for the Minnesota-born defenseman that will start in the 2024-25 season.
Peart, 20, played for three years at St. Cloud State University where he notched eight goals and 55 points in 109 career games for the Huskies.
The 2021 second-round pick by the Wild played three years for Grand Rapids High School and put up 32 goals and 83 points in 68 career games. After high school, Peart went on to play for the Fargo Force of the USHL. In two years in Fargo, Peart recorded one goal and 17 points in 29 games.
After his 11-goal and 35-point season in 18 games for Grand Rapids in 2021, Peart 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 top defenseman in Minnesota.
Drafted with the 54th overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Wild, Peart hasn't put up a ton of points at the College Hockey level but neither did Brock Faber, whom Wild fans have seen make an outstanding impact at the NHL level so far.
The 5-foot-11 defenseman is a smooth-skating and mobile defender who has good defensive and offensive instincts. Although he likely won't run an NHL power play, Peart has the experience of doing so. he also has been on the top penalty kill year after year.
Peart has also represented USA at the National level on USA's U17 National Team at the 2019 Five Nations Tournament in Germany. He also played for Team USA's U20 World Juniors teams in 2021-22 and 2022-23. Peart played with Wild prospect Charlie Stramel in both of those years and with Faber during the 2021-22 season.
His hockey IQ is one of his better attributes, other than his skating. Both of which are great skills to have transfer to the NHL. He may need some time in the AHL before turning into an NHL-caliber defender but Peart has a good future ahead of him.
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