York Forward Jack Paschen: ‘The Type Of Player Every Coach Wants On Their Team’

York Forward Jack Paschen: ‘The Type Of Player Every Coach Wants On Their Team’

By Ross Forman, 11/02/25, 10:00PM CST

Yet Another Paschen Wearing Uniform No. 7, Scoring Key Goals, Setting Up Teammates

Jack Paschen has some serious skates to follow – and is doing quite well at it.

Jack’s older brother, Billy, played three years at York, then for the Cochrane Crunch, a Canadian Junior “A” team. Billy then skated at DePaul University and for a club in Finland.

Jack’s dad, Bill, won a state championship while playing forward in the 1980s at Glenbrook North. He then played at Miami of Ohio.

“My dad and my brother have been very influential (on my career); they give me advice and critique me to make me a better player,” said Jack, 18, a senior right-handed shooting right wing for the Dukes.

Paschen, who lives in Elmhurst, wears jersey No. 7, as did his dad and brother. He formerly skated for the Chicago Blues and was an Illinois state champion as a freshman, playing for the Dukes’ JV squad.

He is York’s assistant captain this season.

“I like to be all over the puck and aggressive; I like to find my open teammates,” said Paschen, who has 6 goals and 1 assist in York’s first 10 SHL games. The Dukes are 6-4, riding a four-game winning streak which includes a 4-2 win on Sunday, November 2 on the road against Saint Ignatius, a team that defeated York 5-4 a month ago.

Jimmy Spano leads the Dukes with 4 goals and 5 assists in 10 games. York is riding consecutive wins over Glenbrook South, New Trier Green, Saint Viator and Saint Ignatius.

“We have the team to do it (this season) and everyone believes it in the locker room; everyone is starting to buy a lot more into the coaches, the players and the process,” said Paschen, who tallied in York’s spirit night win over the Trevians on October 24. “York is a championship-caliber team. The depth we have and just everyone’s effort that they are putting in is insane; it can take us far.”

York head coach Evan Poulakidas said Paschen is a highly skilled player “who has a knack for getting open at the right time, scoring or assisting on big goals.” Poulakidas added, “Jack is a vocal leader of this team who wants his senior year to be special; he has provided needed leadership.”

And he’s had many noteworthy, celebratory moments in the Dukes’ green.

Case in point, he scored with :30 remaining as a freshman to beat Stevenson in the league playoffs. He also scored last season against Lake Forest on senior night. And, he has fond memories from his sophomore season facing Saint Ignatius in the final four in front of a wild, vocal crowd.

“It’s been a good two years so far, (including) making it to the state championship sophomore year. But we really have to bounce back from our early exit last year,” Paschen said.

The Dukes were eliminated last season in the state quarterfinals, falling 6-1 to eventual state champion New Trier Green.

York is a better team this season. Paschen, too. His off-season training, which included running hills, certainly has helped, along with on-ice drills and more.

“We recognized Jack’s potential long before he joined our program as a freshman,” said former York head coach Matt Boeing. “Having spent time around the rink watching his brother Billy, Jack demonstrated a deep understanding and passion for the game from an early age. What sets Jack apart is not only his scoring ability, but also his leadership, competitiveness and the way he elevates those around him. He’s the type of player every coach wants on their team, and one that opponents find challenging to play against.

“As a three-year varsity player, Jack has experienced the full range of team dynamics and has grown tremendously through those experiences. His development over the past few years has been remarkable. Jack consistently brought a positive attitude to the rink, lifting the spirits of his teammates and coaches alike. It has been a privilege to watch him mature both as a player and as a person.”

Stevenson head coach Dan Wood is very familiar with Jack, having coached Billy for four years at DePaul, where Billy was the team’s leading scorer every year.

“Jack has been scoring goals since he has been on varsity (as a) sophomore. He has incredible hands and a nice finish. If you give him too much space, he can either score or find an open man to make you pay,” Wood said. “Jack is similar to Billy in that they are such gamers. The bigger the game, the better they both play.”

Jack was coached for six years by his dad who, while playing decades ago for the Spartans, was a skilled, right-handed shooting forward. “He’s impacted my game a lot by coaching me all throughout my childhood and always giving advice to make me better,” said Jack, whose favorite hockey memories with his dad are wide-ranging – including practices, games, tournaments and more. “Not everyone gets to have their dad coach them and their best friends.”

Brian Finnerty coached Paschen as a freshman and is now an assistant on York’s top varsity – and Finnerty recalls a late-night conversation years ago that convinced Paschen to play for the Dukes. “He’s always been deceptive on the ice, (with) a good offensive skillset to his game that makes him … greasy – and he’s really taken it to the next level this season. He’s been our sparkplug of late,” Finnerty said.

As a freshman, Finnerty recalls, “just how good skill-wise he was.”

“I always thought he’d be a very good hockey player for York. I had a good feeling that he would be a name that everyone would know by the time he was a senior,” Finnerty said. “He’s got an aura about him. He has a quiet confidence about him and just goes about his business every day. He’s pretty even keel, things don’t really bother him. He just loves winning.”

Paschen is entering his third season on the York varsity lacrosse team, a sport that helps his hand-to-eye coordination, vision and decision-making for hockey.

“Hockey builds fast reactions and strong balance which makes catching and shooting in lacrosse easier,” he said.

Slapshots With … York Forward Jack Paschen

Helping Hand: “The coaches really help my game by giving advice and telling me what to do and the notes they send out on opponents really help me and my teammates.”