Nearly a month exactly after Reegan Hiscock committed to Northeastern, the Huskies locked in their newest verbal commitment from Jack Pechar, a 2005-birth year forward from Niskayuna, New York. Pechar reportedly had Hockey East and ECAC team interest.
Pechar (pronounced puh-car) is a 6-foot-1, 185 pound right shot right winger currently playing for the South Kent Selects Academy 18U AAA team. He has 44 points (21 goals) in 40 games with Selects this season, where he plays on the same line as, and is outscoring, centerman Matthew Frost, who was the USHL Draft first overall pick and committed to Boston College. He also earned a call up to the USHL’s Lincoln Stars, and in five games has one goal. Last season for Selects 16U AAA, Pechar dominated competition to the tune of 93 points (37 goals) in just 56 games. He also had two previous seasons as an underager at the 16U level where he was well over a point per game. He also has previously attended a USA Select 17 camp. Pechar was an assistant captain for South Kent this season, as well as a First Team All-Conference first baseman for Niskayuna baseball before he transferred to Selects.
A power forward who is considered a fast-rising ’05 birth year, Pechar clearly developed the skills and abilities to use his size to his advantage at the 16U and 18U levels. As he grows and the competition ramps up, these physical traits will continue to be his calling card. At the prep level with Selects, he showed the ability to get a quick, accurate release on his shot, use slick hands through traffic, shield the puck on the cycle and on the rush with his body, and he was not afraid to get in shooting lanes and block shots in the defensive zone either. One scout said he has “deceptive speed, a wicked shot/release and a knack for making plays in tight spaces,” while another noted that he has a knack for being around the net and that his skating has improved. He’s the kind of forward who will battle in the corners and dirty areas, be heavy on pucks, and has good hockey sense.
At this point, with him being so new to the USHL scene, it’s difficult to project Pechar’s enrollment to Northeastern. I would expect at this point that he will play in the USHL for two full seasons before enrolling, which would pencil him into the arriving class of 2025. As more information comes out, we will adjust our projections accordingly as always.
Congratulations to Jack on his commitment to Northeastern! As always, go Huskies!