Johnathan Kovacevic
Defenceman drafted by Jets, claimed by Canadiens, traded to Devils.
Last updated
Johnathan Kovacevic is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the New Jersey Devils in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Winnipeg Jets picked him in the third round, 74th overall, during the 2017 NHL entry draft. He has also suited up for the Montreal Canadiens.
Collegiate
Kovacevic started his college hockey career with the Merrimack College Warriors in the 2016–17 season. As a freshman, he played 36 games and put up 19 points, earning a spot on the Hockey East All-Academic Team and his school’s rookie of the year award. The next year, he appeared in 34 games and recorded 17 points, again making the All-Academic Team.
Before his final season, he was named an alternate captain. He scored four goals in 31 games and was voted team MVP. Over his entire college run, he finished with nine goals and 45 assists in 101 games.
Professional
After leaving Merrimack, Kovacevic signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Jets on March 17, 2019. He made his professional debut with their AHL affiliate, the Manitoba Moose, on April 14, 2019, scoring a goal and adding an assist against the Chicago Wolves.
On August 13, 2021, the Jets re-signed him to a one-year, two-way deal worth $750,000 at the NHL level. He was called up from the Moose and played his first NHL game on January 28, 2022, against the Vancouver Canucks, logging one shot on goal in 10:21 of ice time. As a restricted free agent, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Jets on July 22, 2022.
Kovacevic attended the Jets’ 2022 training camp but was placed on waivers during the preseason. The Montreal Canadiens claimed him the next day, on October 8, 2022. Brought in to shore up the right side of their defence, he debuted in the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 12 and quickly became a regular. Within eight days, he had already surpassed his total NHL appearances from the previous season.
He was often paired with rookie Jordan Harris and earned praise from the coaching staff. On November 14, Canadiens executive Jeff Gorton told Kovacevic to find permanent housing in Montreal, signaling he had secured a long-term roster spot. Kovacevic said it gave him confidence that the team liked what they saw and wanted him around for a while, noting that being claimed on waivers always leaves some uncertainty.
Lore & Background
Kovacevic played collegiate hockey for Merrimack College from the 2016–17 season, appearing in 36 games as a freshman and tallying 19 points. He was named to the Hockey East All-Academic Team and earned his school's rookie of the year honour.
In his sophomore year, he recorded 17 points in 34 games and again made the All-Academic team. Before his final season, he was named an alternate captain and later recognized as team MVP after contributing four goals in 31 appearances. He finished his collegiate career with nine goals and 45 assists in 101 games.
After leaving Merrimack, Kovacevic signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Jets on March 17, 2019. He made his professional debut with the Manitoba Moose on April 14, 2019, scoring a goal and an assist. He was re-signed to a one-year, two-way contract on August 13, 2021, and made his NHL debut on January 28, 2022, against the Vancouver Canucks. As a restricted free agent, he signed a three-year contract extension with the Jets on July 22, 2022.
Kovacevic was placed on waivers during the 2022 pre-season and claimed by the Montreal Canadiens on October 8, 2022. He made his Canadiens debut in the season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs and became a regular in the lineup, often paired with rookie defenceman Jordan Harris. He scored his first NHL goal on December 6, 2022, against the Seattle Kraken. On June 30, 2024, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils for a fourth-round pick in the 2026 draft, and on March 7, 2025, he agreed to a five-year, $20 million contract extension.
Reader's Guide
Johnathan Kovacevic's career illustrates the path of a late-blooming defenceman who transitioned from a collegiate standout at Merrimack College to an NHL regular via waivers. Drafted by the Winnipeg Jets in the third round of the 2017 draft, he spent three seasons developing in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose before making his NHL debut in January 2022. His time with the Jets was brief; after being placed on waivers in October 2022, he was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens, who immediately inserted him into the lineup to address a weakness on the right side of their defence. Kovacevic quickly established himself as a reliable presence, earning praise from the coaching staff and scoring his first NHL goal in December 2022.
His tenure with the Canadiens lasted until June 2024, when he was traded to the New Jersey Devils. Within a year, he signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension, securing his place in the Devils' organization. Kovacevic holds a civil engineering degree from Merrimack College, and his parents immigrated from the former SFR Yugoslavia—his father from Nikšić, Montenegro, and his mother from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Career statistics and honours
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 |
| 2025–26 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 34 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 258 | 10 | 43 | 53 | 193 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| CCHL | ||
| All-Rookie Team | 2015 | |
| Third All-Star Team | 2016 | |
| College | ||
| Hockey East All-Academic Team | 2017, 2018, 2019 | |
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Johnathan Kovacevic (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Johnathan Kovacevic (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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