Devils Defender Fined for Cross-Checking

A defenseman for the New Jersey Devils was fined for cross-checking.
Jan 6, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (8) passes the puck against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Jan 6, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; New Jersey Devils defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic (8) passes the puck against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

A New Jersey Devils defenseman will have a slightly lower paycheck coming his way after the NHL's Department of Player Safety issued a fine his way. The DoPS announced that Devils defender Johnathan Kovacevic received a fine for a cross-checking incident in a recent game.

The Devils' defenseman was called for a penalty against the Florida Panthers for cross-checking Panthers' winger Matthew Tkachuk. In response to the play, the DoPS assessed the maximum allowable fine under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement to Kovacevic. The play cost him $1,996.53.

This is the first fine or discipline at the NHL level Kovacevic has received. However, when he was still in the American Hockey League he had an issue with cross-checking. During the 2021 season, he was suspended for two games for cross-checking a player high up in the chest and neck area. But since he's broken into the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens, and Devils, he's been a relatively clean player.

Kovacevic was originally drafted and developed by the Winnipeg Jets organization. They selected him in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft and he progressed through their system before making his NHL debut in 2022.

He was claimed by the Canadiens after the Jets placed him on waivers in 2022, and he played two seasons with the Habs. He posted his career-best 15 points in 77 games during the 2022-2023 campaign and followed that up with 13 points over 62 games the following year.

The Devils acquired him at the 2024 NHL Draft for a future draft pick. In his first season with New Jersey, he's taken his game to the next level. In his first 46 games with the team, he already has one goal and 11 assists for 12 points while averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice-time per game.

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