Pesce attended
Irvington High School in New York, and played varsity on a joint Irvington-Sleepy Hollow hockey team, graduating in June 2012. He also played his amateur youth ice hockey within
New Jersey, eventually playing with the
New Jersey Hitmen of the
Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). He committed to play collegiate ice hockey with the
University of New Hampshire of the
Hockey East. After his freshman season with the
New Hampshire Wildcats, Pesce was selected by the
Carolina Hurricanes in the third round of the
2013 NHL entry draft. In his
sophomore season in
2013–14, Pesce set a personal best seven
goals and 21
points in 41 games with New Hampshire. In his
junior season, Pesce ranked second amongst Wildcats on the blueline in scoring with 16 points in 31 games. Having played 109 games with the Wildcats, Pesce opted to forgo his final year of eligibility signing a three-year, entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on March 27, 2015. He was signed to an amateur try-out contract with the Hurricanes'
American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the
Charlotte Checkers, and made his professional debut on April 2, against the
Oklahoma City Barons. He appeared in the Checkers' final four homes games to conclude the
2014–15 regular season. After attending the Hurricanes' 2015 training camp, Pesce was re-assigned to begin his rookie
2015–16 season with the Checkers. On October 14, 2015, Pesce received his first NHL recall by Carolina and was a
healthy scratch. He was returned to the Checkers, however during his second recall to the Hurricanes made his NHL debut in a 5–2 loss against the
San Jose Sharks on October 24. On November 22, he scored his first NHL goal, and had an
assist, to get the Hurricanes a 4–3 win over the
Los Angeles Kings. In the
2019–20 season, Pesce was used in a top-four role with the Hurricanes, posting four goals and 18 points in 61 games from the blueline. On February 22, 2020, Pesce suffered a right shoulder injury against the
Toronto Maple Leafs, and was later ruled out for the remainder of the campaign undergoing season-ending surgery. On July 1, 2024, as an unrestricted free agent, Pesce signed a six-year, $33 million dollar contract with the
New Jersey Devils. ==Personal life==