Johnathan Kovacevic
Johnathan Kovacevic | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 12, 1997 Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenceman |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Known for | Playing for New Jersey Devils in the NHL |
Johnathan Kovacevic (; born July 12, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League (NHL). Originally selected 74th overall by the Winnipeg Jets during the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, he has also spent time with the Montreal Canadiens.
Collegiate
Kovacevic launched his college hockey journey with the Merrimack College Warriors in the 2016–17 season, participating in 36 games and accumulating 19 points. His outstanding performance earned him the rookie of the year honor at Merrimack and a spot on the Hockey East All-Academic Team.
During his sophomore season, he appeared in 34 contests, tallying 17 points and once again securing recognition on the Hockey East All-Academic Team. Prior to his senior year, Kovacevic was appointed alternate captain and named team MVP, registering four goals across 31 games. He completed his collegiate tenure with totals of nine goals and 45 assists over 101 games played.
Winnipeg Jets
Chosen by the Winnipeg Jets as the 74th overall pick in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, Kovacevic inked a two-year entry-level contract on March 17, 2019. He made his professional debut with Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, where he notched a goal and an assist in his first outing on April 14, 2019.
On August 13, 2021, Kovacevic agreed to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 at the NHL level to remain with Winnipeg. He played his first NHL game on January 28, 2022, against the Vancouver Canucks, recording 10 minutes and 21 seconds of ice time.
As a restricted free agent, Kovacevic secured a three-year extension with the Jets on July 22, 2022.
Montreal Canadiens
Following attendance at Winnipeg’s training camp in 2022, Kovacevic was placed on waivers and subsequently claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on October 8, 2022. Brought in to bolster Montreal’s right-side defence, he made his debut in the season opener versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 12 and quickly established himself as a regular player, surpassing his prior NHL game total within just eight days. He frequently paired alongside rookie defenceman Jordan Harris, earning commendations from coaching staff. On November 14, Canadiens executive Jeff Gorton encouraged Kovacevic to settle permanently in Montreal, signaling confidence in his roster spot. Gorton highlighted this as an uncommon indication of long-term commitment for a player acquired via waivers.
Kovacevic netted his first NHL goal on December 6, 2022, contributing to a 4–2 victory on the road against the Seattle Kraken.
New Jersey Devils
Prior to NHL free agency opening, Kovacevic was traded to the New Jersey Devils on June 30, 2024, in exchange for a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL entry draft. On March 7, 2025, he agreed to a five-year contract extension worth $20 million with New Jersey.
Personal life
Kovacevic’s parents emigrated from the former SFR Yugoslavia, with his father Novica originating from Nikšić, Montenegro, and his mother Angie hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He earned a degree in civil engineering from Merrimack College.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2014–15 | Ottawa Jr. Senators | CCHL | 52 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 20 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2015–16 | Ottawa Jr. Senators | CCHL | 21 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Hawkesbury Hawks | CCHL | 30 | 6 | 20 | 26 | 21 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 2016–17 | Merrimack College | HE | 36 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Merrimack College | HE | 34 | 2 | 15 | 17 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Merrimack College | HE | 31 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 45 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 33 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 29 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Manitoba Moose | AHL | 62 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 45 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2022–23 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 77 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 39 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2023–24 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 62 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 42 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2024–25 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 81 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 224 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 155!
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Awards and honours
| Award | Year |
|---|---|
| CCHL | |
| All-Rookie Team Selection | 2015 |
| Third All-Star Team Selection | 2016 |
| College | |
|
Hockey East All-Academic Team Member |
2017, 2018, and 2019 |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Canadian ice hockey defencemen
- Canadian people of Montenegrin descent
- Ice hockey people from Ontario
- Manitoba Moose players
- Merrimack Warriors men's ice hockey players
- Montreal Canadiens players
- New Jersey Devils players
- Sportspeople from Grimsby, Ontario
- Winnipeg Jets draft picks
- Winnipeg Jets players
- 21st-century Canadian sportsmen