Merrimack Alumnus Kovacevic Signs New Contract With Winnipeg Jets

WINNIPEG, CANADA — Former Merrimack College defenseman Jonathan Kovacevic has agreed to a new three-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets, the team announced Friday.

Kovacevic, 25, made his debut with the Jets last season, playing in four games. He also was a standout for the team's American Hockey League affiliate the Manitoba Moose.

According to the Jets, Kovacevic's contract is a two-way deal in 2022-23 and 2023-2024 and a one-way deal in 2024-25. The average annual value in the NHL is $766,700, the team said.

Kovacevic, a native of Niagara Falls, Ontario, played three seasons at Merrimack, appearing in 101 games and recording 54 points (9 goals, 45 assists).

An assistant captain on the Warriors' 2018-19 team, Kovacevic also earned back-to-back Hockey East All-Academic honors. He finished college with a 4.0-grade point average.

The 6-foot-4, 208-pound Kovacevic was drafted by the Jets in the third round (74th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, becoming Merrimack's second-highest-drafted player.

During the 2021-22 season, Kovacevic won the Manitoba Moose's Best Defenseman Award for the second straight season, appearing in 62 games and recording 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists).

Kovacevic made his NHL debut for the Jets on Jan. 27, 2022, at home against the Vancouver Canucks. Late in the season, he spoke to the Manitoba Moose's social media about his initial experience in the NHL.

"That was super special for me. That's something that every kid dreams of and I've worked for that for my whole life," Kovacevic said. "To be able to play those games ... the first game was such a whirlwind, so much emotion and everyone kind of reaching out."

Kovacevic added: "It was really nice to play in four games and get a little more of a feel for the process of it and just to know what the level is like up there. To have a benchmark to reach for is really valuable for me."