Johnathan Kovacevic
Born (1997-07-12) July 12, 1997
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Weight 223 lb (101 kg; 15 st 13 lb)
Position Defence
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams		 Montreal Canadiens
Winnipeg Jets
NHL Draft 74th overall, 2017
Winnipeg Jets
Playing career 2019–present

Johnathan Kovacevic (born July 12, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who currently plays for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Personal life

Kovacevic is the son of a Montenegrin father, Novica, and a Bosnian mother, Angie. He has a brother, Ryan, and a sister, Daniela. He holds a civil engineering degree from Merrimack.[1][2]

Playing career

At the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Kovacevic was drafted in the third round, 74th overall by the Winnipeg Jets.[3]

After three seasons with Merrimack College, Kovacevic signed a two-year entry level contract with the Jets on March 17, 2019.[4] He made his professional debut with the Jets' American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on April 19, 2019, scoring one goal and one assist against the Chicago Wolves.[5]

On August 13, 2021, Kovacevic was re-signed by the Jets to a one-year, two-way contract worth $750,000 at the NHL level.[6][7] In the following 2021–22 season, Kovacevic was recalled from the Moose and played in his first NHL game with the Jets on January 28, 2022 against the Vancouver Canucks, finishing the game with one shot on goal in 10:21 of ice time.[8]

As a restricted free agent, Kovacevic was re-signed to a three-year contract extension with the Jets on July 22, 2022.[9] After attending the Jets 2022 training camp in preparation for the 2022–23 season, Kovacevic was placed on waivers during the pre-season. He was claimed off waivers the following day by the Montreal Canadiens on October 8, 2022.[10] Acquired by the Canadiens to help with weakness on the right side of the defence corps, Kovacevic made his debut in the season opener on October 12 and immediately became a regular part of the lineup. He surpassed his prior NHL appearance total within eight days of his first game.[11][12] Kovacevic was regularly paired with rookie defenceman Jordan Harris, and drew praise from the coaching staff. On November 14, Canadiens executive Jeff Gorton advised Kovacevic to find regular accommodations in Montreal, indicating that he had found a permanent roster berth for the foreseeable future. He remarked on the occasion that "it gives me a little bit of an idea that they like what they see from me, they want me for a bit of a longer haul. Because when you’re picked up on waivers, you never really know."[13]

On December 6, 2022, Kovacevic scored his first career NHL goal in a game against the Seattle Kraken.[14]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2014–15 Ottawa Jr. Senators CCHL 525141920 100336
2015–16 Ottawa Jr. Senators CCHL 2128106 —————
2015–16 Hawkesbury Hawks CCHL 306202621 1007710
2016–17 Merrimack College HE 363161930 —————
2017–18 Merrimack College HE 342151714 —————
2018–19 Merrimack College HE 314141814 —————
2018–19 Manitoba Moose AHL 11122 —————
2019–20 Manitoba Moose AHL 45481233 —————
2020–21 Manitoba Moose AHL 292121423 —————
2021–22 Manitoba Moose AHL 6211193045 50002
2021–22 Winnipeg Jets NHL 40002 —————
2022–23 Montreal Canadiens NHL 773121539 —————
NHL totals 813121541 —————

Awards and honours

Award Year
CCHL
All-Rookie Team 2015
Third All-Star Team 2016

References

  1. ↑ Ates, Murat. "How Johnathan Kovacevic's family story helps him put his hockey pursuit in perspective". The Athletic. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  2. ↑ "Johnathan Kovacevic - Men's Ice Hockey". Merrimack College Athletics. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  3. ↑ Clinton, Mitchell (June 24, 2017). "Kovacevic proud to wear Jets colours". NHL.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Jets sign Johnathan Kovacevic". NHL.com. March 16, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  5. ↑ Fink, Daniel (March 17, 2019). "Recap: Moose 6 at Chicago 2". Manitoba Moose. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Jets sign defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic to a one-year, two-way contract". NHL.com. August 13, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  7. ↑ Hobson, Russ (August 13, 2021). "Winnipeg Jets sign defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic". Global News. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  8. ↑ Clinton, Mitchell (January 27, 2022). "Jets close home stand with loss to Vancouver". NHL.com. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Jets sign defenceman Johnathan Kovacevic to a three-year contract". Winnipeg Jets. July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Canadiens claim Jonathan Kovacevic off waivers". Montreal Canadiens. October 8, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  11. ↑ Cowan, Stu (October 19, 2022). "Rearguard Kovacevic realizing lifelong dream with Canadiens". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  12. ↑ Cowan, Stu (November 3, 2022). "Johnathan Kovacevic making the most of his chance with Canadiens". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  13. ↑ Basu, Arpon (November 16, 2022). "Canadiens' Johnathan Kovacevic has found some permanence after long road to NHL". The Athletic. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  14. ↑ Cowan, Stu (December 7, 2022). "First NHL goal 'feels great' for Johnathan Kovacevic". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
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