The Minnesota Wild have signed defenseman Jack Peart to a three-year entry-level contract that will start in the 2024-25 season. The 20-year-old Peart was drafted by the Wild in the second round (54th overall) of the 2021 NHL entry draft and will begin his professional hockey career after spending the last three seasons at St. Cloud State (NCAA).
Peart dressed in 108 games for St. Cloud State and registered eight goals and 47 assists during that time to go along with a plus-15 rating and 64 PIM. The native of Grand Rapids, Minnesota set a career-high in points during the 2022-23 season when he posted three goals and 21 assists in 39 games. He had an offensive drop this past year, but the Wild saw enough from the young rearguard to lock him up to an ELC.
At the international level, Peart was a member of the U.S. National Junior team during the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships. He dressed in 11 games between the two tournaments and had five assists as well as a plus-3 rating. He won a bronze medal in 2023 as a member of the team.
With Peart locked up for the next three seasons, it leaves the rest of this season up in the air. Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic have reported that Peart has signed an amateur tryout to play for AHL Iowa for the rest of the season and will report to Des Moines today.