Canucks Rewind: The Ed Jovanovski trade

In the fourth edition of the Canuck Way Rewind, we’re taking a look at the Ed Jovanovski trade, and how it impacted the Vancouver Canucks for years to come.

Every Wednesday, we’re going to take a look at some of the most memorable events in Vancouver Canucks’ history, and how they have shaped the team today. From goals, assists and key plays, to trades, signings and debuts, this weekly segment should be a fond trip down memory lane for all Canucks’ fans.

The Vancouver Canucks have seen their fair share of defencemen during the latter half of their existence in the NHL. Like many teams, they’ve encountered a variety of playing styles on the blueline, from puck-moving, speedy and offensive, to hard-hitting, suffocating and downright nasty to play against.

Some went on to have memorable, decorated careers in the NHL. Others stuck around in Vancouver for a forgettable cup of coffee. Of course, there are select players that are only at the beginning of their hockey journey, hungry to make their mark on the West Coast.

But when it comes to choosing an all-time Canuck favourite from the past 25 years, it’s no surprise that Ed Jovanovski would top the list for many fans, teammates and coaching staff alike.

Jovanovski began his professional career with the Florida Panthers after being chosen first overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft. This selection came as a bit of a surprise to many in the league, including Jovanovski, as scouts had never considered him that high in their rankings during his draft-eligible season. However, the Panthers were in need of a two-way, big-bodied defenceman who would become a staple in their lineup.

Jovanovski definitely filled that card.

After playing one more junior year with the Windsor Spitfires during the 1994-95 season, where he registered 23 goals and 42 assists in 50 games. Jovanovski signed a four-year, $5.7 million contract with the Panthers in June 1995.

Despite breaking his hand during the preseason and missing the first 11 games of the regular season, Jovanovski had an impressive rookie campaign in Florida. He put up 10 goals and 21 points in 70 games, but, more importantly, was proving to be a reliable and effective player on both ends of the ice.

He also played a key role in Florida’s playoff run that year, registering nine points in 22 postseason games. The Panthers made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final but were swept by the Colorado Avalanche.

During the offseason, Jovanovski was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team and was also nominated for the Calder Memorial Trophy, alongside Eric Daze and Daniel Alfredsson, who ended up capturing the award. He even finished 16th in Norris Trophy voting as the league’s best defenceman.

Jovanovski continued his effective play the next two seasons, notching 23 points respectfully during each campaign. Despite the offensive consistency, this was a far cry from the numbers he put up on the scoresheet in Windsor. That, along with accumulated injuries and suspensions, started to worry management in Florida. And with his contract set to expire following the 1998-1999 season, many believed that Jovanovski’s time down south was coming to an end.

Cue the trade.

On January 17th, 1999, Jovanovski was involved in a monster seven-player deal. The Panthers received Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican and Brad Reference, as well as a 3rd round pick. In return, Jovanski, along with Dave Gagner, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes and a 1st round pick, were sent to the Vancouver Canucks.

At the time, the Canucks were in the middle of a rebuild, having missed the playoffs the past two seasons, but showed plenty of promise with their up-tempo and exciting style of play. Jovanovski immediately slotted into the lineup and finished the year with 11 points through 31 games.

Fortunately for the Canucks, he was just starting to scratch the surface.

In his first full campaign with his new club, Jovanovski notched 26 points in 72 games. He became a staple on the first powerplay unit, and was second in average 5v5 ice time with 24:03, only behind Mattias Ohlund. In other words, he was fitting in quite nicely on the back end.

In the next two seasons, he recorded 95 points in 161 games, including a career-high 17 goals in 2002-2003. More importantly, Jovanovski was solidifying himself as one of the better two-way defencemen in the game, and the Canucks knew they needed to keep him around if they wanted to return to their winning ways.

On January 27th, 2003, Jovanovski signed a three-year contract extension worth just under $9 million.

That year, he led the Canucks’ defence in scoring for the fourth consecutive season with 46 points in 67 games, and he followed up that feat with seven goals and eight points in 14 playoff games. As many fans remember, the Canucks made it to the second round but were eliminated by the Minnesota Wild, who came back to win the series in seven games.

Despite the early exit, Jovanovski still recorded the most playoff goals by a defenceman that year, and he also finished 6th in Norris Trophy voting for the second consecutive campaign.

Unfortunately, Jovanovski’s decline in Vancouver would start shortly after.

For the next three seasons, he battled with shoulder, foot and groin issues. He was sidelined for a combined 64 games during the 2003-04 and 2005-06 seasons and did not participate in any semi-professional games or leagues during the lockout year.

He finished the last year of his deal with 33 points in 44 games, and a career-high in points-per-game, but that wasn’t enough. Ultimately, his growing list of injuries, as well as a new wave of franchise players such as Roberto Luongo, Henrik Sedin and Daniel Sedin, marked the end of Jovanovski’s tenure in Vancouver.