Lately, the Minnesota Wild have experienced more losses than wins, making the past two weeks forgettable on the ice. However, amidst these struggles, they secured a promising off-ice victory.
On Tuesday, March 26, the Wild revealed the signing of defenseman Jack Peart to a three-year, entry-level contract, effective from the beginning of the 2024-25 NHL season.
Peart, a 20-year-old from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, was selected by the Wild in the second round of the 2021 draft. He remains loyal to the team that believed in him from the start, drafting him 54th overall almost three years ago.
After completing his collegiate career at St. Cloud State University and joining the Wild, Peart is anticipated to spend time in Iowa after agreeing to an amateur tryout contract, as reported by Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic.
“League sources confirm [Peart] has signed an amateur tryout to join Iowa for the remainder of the season,” Russo reported. “He is expected to join Des Moines on Tuesday (March 26).”
Peart finalized his rookie contract with the Wild following St. Cloud State University’s NCAA DI 4-5 overtime loss to the University of Denver. This concluded his NCAA season, enabling him to sign with the NHL team and proceed to play in Iowa as part of the aforementioned tryout.
Jack Peart’s Past and Future Within Minnesota
Peart, despite having another year of college eligibility as a senior in the upcoming season, has chosen to forego it in favor of transitioning to professional hockey.
His notable achievements include winning the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award in 2021 and earning Second Team All-NCHC honors for two consecutive seasons while playing for the St. Cloud State Huskies.
Standing at 6 feet tall and weighing 195 pounds, Peart is recognized for his defensive prowess while also demonstrating offensive capabilities. During his three seasons with St. Cloud State, he participated in 108 games, accumulating 55 points. He also registered 64 penalty minutes, 147 shots on goal, and 113 blocked shots, concluding his collegiate career with a plus-15 rating.
In his sophomore season two years ago, he achieved career highs in points (24) and assists (21) along with 3 goals. Following this breakout season, Peart represented the U.S. National Junior team at the 2022 and 2023 IIHF World Junior Championships, contributing to the team’s bronze medal win in the latter tournament.
According to reports from The Athletic, Matt Hendricks, Wild’s assistant director of player development, highlighted Peart’s significant progress defensively during the current season, noting his growing confidence in his defensive abilities.
Promising News in a Disappointing Minnesota Wild Season
Peart’s inclusion in the Wild’s farm system is part of a series of recent signings by the franchise, which also includes forwards Riley Heidt (selected 64th overall in 2023) and Rasmus Kumpalainen (selected 53rd overall in 2023).
However, The Athletic suggests that Slovakian forward Servac Petrovsky, drafted by the Wild in the sixth round in 2022 (185th overall), might not be signed before the upcoming June 1 deadline.
Although the current season in Minnesota hasn’t been disastrous, the Wild find themselves largely out of playoff contention, with just a 7.6% chance of securing a postseason spot according to MoneyPuck.
With a record of 34-28-9 (77 points), the Wild’s recent stretch, including three losses in four games leading up to Thursday, March 28, has severely dampened their aspirations of competing for the Stanley Cup in 2024.
This marks the first time in five years that the Wild will miss the playoffs, having been eliminated in the first round each of the last three seasons before parting ways with coach Dean Evason earlier this year. John Hynes replaced him in late November.
