Ed Jovanovski

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Jovanovski was born in Windsor, Ontario, and played major junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL. He was selected first overall in the 1994 NHL entry draft by the Florida Panthers. In his rookie season, he helped the Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche. After three-and-a-half seasons in Florida, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in a seven-player deal involving Pavel Bure. With Vancouver, he won the Babe Pratt Trophy as the team's best defenceman three consecutive years and led the club's defencemen in scoring four consecutive years. In July 2006, he signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Phoenix Coyotes, leading their defencemen in scoring in his first three seasons. He returned to the Florida Panthers for three seasons before retiring in 2015.

In Their Own Story

Ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference going into the 1996 playoffs, Jovanovski helped the Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final. He scored his first career Stanley Cup playoff goal in game two of the first round against Boston Bruins goaltender Craig Billington. Facing the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals, the Panthers were defeated in four-straight games. Jovanovski contributed a goal and nine points in 22 post-season games. It would be his only Stanley Cup Final appearance. In the off-season, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team. He was also nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the League's rookie of the year, alongside Chicago Blackhawks forward Éric Dazé and Ottawa Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson, who ultimately won the award. On November 23, 1996, Jovanovski received a three-game suspension from the NHL without pay for illegally leaving the penalty box ready to fight during a break in play against the Dallas Stars. Later in the 1996–97 season, he suffered a knee injury against the Edmonton Oilers in January 1997, sidelining him for several weeks. The following month, he was involved in an on-ice altercation with San Jose Sharks forward Bernie Nicholls, resulting in a two-game suspension. The accumulated injuries and suspensions caused Jovanovski to miss 21 games in his second NHL season. In 1997–98, Jovanovski appeared in 81 games, recording nine goals and 23 points. With his contract set to expire following the 1998–99 season, Jovanovski was beginning to be seen as a disappointment in Florida, failing to improve on his successful rookie year. On January 17, 1999, after three-and-a-half seasons with the Panthers, Jovanovski was traded in a seven-player deal to the Vancouver Canucks.

Reader's Guide

Jovanovski is known as a two-way defenceman. He recorded one 50-point season and three seasons of 40 or more points in the NHL. Internationally, he won gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics, gold at the 1995 World Junior Championship, silver at the 2005 and 2008 World Championships, and played in one game at the 2004 World Cup due to injury.

Did You Know?

• Jovanovski was nicknamed "JovoCop".
• He was selected first overall in the 1994 NHL entry draft by the Florida Panthers.
• He won the Babe Pratt Trophy as Vancouver's best defenceman three years in a row.
• He won a gold medal with Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics.