Ed Jovanovski Edward Jovanovski ( born June 26 , 1976 ) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman of Macedonian descent , an alternate captain for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . He played major junior for two seasons with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) , earning First All - Star , Second All - Star and All - Rookie Team honours . He was selected first overall in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers . During his rookie season , he earned All - Rookie Team honours and helped the Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Finals , where they lost to the Colorado Avalanche . After three - and - a - half seasons in Florida , Jovanovski was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in a seven - player deal for Pavel Bure . During his tenure with Vancouver , he was awarded the Babe Pratt Trophy as the team ' s best defenceman three consecutive years . He also led the club ' s defencemen in scoring four consecutive years . In July 2006 , Jovanovski became an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Coyotes . He led the team ' s defencemen in scoring during his first three years with the club . Known as a two - way defenceman , he has recorded three 40 - point and one 50 - point campaign in the NHL . Internationally , Jovanovski plays for the Canadian national team . A one - time Winter Olympian , he won a gold medal at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City . At the under - 20 level , he won gold at the 1995 World Junior Championship . He went on to play in four Men ' s World Championships , winning silver in 2005 and 2008 . He also represented Canada at the 2004 World Cup , playing in one game due to injury in the championship - winning tournament . Playing career . Major junior ( 1993 – 95 ) . After playing bantam and Junior B in his hometown Windsor , Ontario , Jovanovski joined the Ontario Hockey League ( OHL ) with the Windsor Spitfires . In his rookie season with the Spitfires , Jovanovski led all team defencemen in scoring , with 50 points in 62 games . In addition to being voted as the Emms Division ' s top bodychecker by league coaches , he was named to the OHL ' s All - Rookie and Second All - Star Teams . That off - season , Jovanovski was selected first overall by the Florida Panthers in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft . He admitted to being surprised at the top selection , as he had not been ranked first at any point in his draft - eligible season . Czech prospect Radek Bonk was ranked first overall by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau , but Panthers president Bill Torrey preferred a defenceman over a forward . Following the draft , the 1994 – 95 NHL season was suspended for three - and - a - half months due to a dispute between NHL players and owners . Consequently , Jovanovski automatically remained in junior for the beginning of the 1994 – 95 OHL season . When NHL was set to resume play in January 1995 , it was speculated that the Panthers might sign Jovanovski and call him up to the NHL . However , Panthers general manager Bryan Murray announced he would remain with Windsor , citing that he would likely not receive much playing time with the club . He averaged approximately 40 minutes per game with Windsor that season , scoring 23 goals and 65 points over 50 contests . He added nine points in nine playoff games before Windsor was eliminated . Jovanovski was named to the OHL First All - Star Team . Florida Panthers ( 1995 – 99 ) . Following his second major junior season , Jovanovski signed a four - year , $ 5 . 7 million contract with the Panthers in June 1995 . Playing with the club during the subsequent pre - season , he broke his right hand during a fight with Hartford Whalers forward Brendan Shanahan . The injury caused him to miss the first 11 games of the season . After recovering , he scored his first career NHL goal against the Whalers on December 2 , 1995 , a game - winner in a 5 – 3 victory . He finished his rookie campaign with 10 goals and 21 points over 70 games . During the regular season , he was encouraged by Panthers management to play more conservatively than he was used to in the OHL , focusing on defensive positioning . Ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference going into the 1996 playoffs , Jovanovski helped the Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Finals . He scored his first career NHL playoff goal in Game 2 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 . 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 best rookie , alongside Chicago Blackhawks forward Eric Daze and Ottawa Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson , who won the award . On November 23 , 1996 , Jovanovski received a three - game suspension from the league without pay . In a game against the Dallas Stars the previous night , he illegally left the penalty box ready to fight any opposing players during a break in play . Later in the season , he suffered a knee injury during a game 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 and the maximum $ 1 , 000 fine for Nicholls for intent to injure . The accumulated injuries and suspensions caused Jovanovski to miss 21 games in his second NHL season . He scored seven goals and 23 points over 61 contests . 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 . Vancouver Canucks ( 1999 – 2006 ) . 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 . He was sent with Dave Gagner , Mike Brown , Kevin Weekes and a first - round selection in the 2000 draft ( Nathan Smith ) in exchange for Pavel Bure , Bret Hedican , Brad Ference and a third - round selection in the 2000 draft ( Robert Fried ) . Joining the Canucks in the midst of a rebuilding period for the franchise , Jovanovski quickly established himself as a top defencemen in Vancouver ' s lineup . His ability to join the rush as a defencemen complemented the Canucks ' up - tempo style of play . A month following his trade , Jovanovski suffered a broken foot while blocking a shot in a game against the New Jersey Devils on February 9 , 1999 . Later in the campaign , he was involved in an altercation with Montreal Canadiens forward Shayne Corson . After being high - sticked in the face by Corson , the two players were sent off the ice , at which point Corson entered the Canucks ' dressing room to verbally confront Jovanovski . According to Corson , the feud stemmed from comments Jovanovski had said about his family . As a result of entering the Canucks ' dressing room , the Canadiens forward was later suspended five games by the NHL , in addition to one game for the high stick . In 31 games with the Canucks that season , Jovanovski recorded two goals and 11 points . Combined with his games played with the Panthers , he totalled 27 points in 72 games . In his first full season with Vancouver , Jovanovski tallied five goals and 26 points ( first among team defencemen ) over 75 games . He ranked second among team defencemen in average ice time per game behind Mattias Ohlund . The following campaign in 2000 – 01 , he led all team defencemen with 12 goals and 47 points over 79 games . He was named to his first of three consecutive NHL All - Star Games in 2001 . At the end of the season , he also earned his first of three consecutive Babe Pratt Trophies , awarded to the Canucks ' fan - voted best defenceman . Jovanovski ' s offensive emergence helped the Canucks return to the playoffs after a six - year absence . It also marked Jovanovski ' s first playoff season since 1997 . In 2001 – 02 , Jovanovski scored a career - high 17 goals , ranking second among NHL defencemen . His 48 points ranked sixth among NHL defencemen and was his highest total as a Canuck . The Canucks finished as the eighth seed in the West for the second consecutive season and were eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in the opening round . Jovanovski contributed a goal and five points in six post - season games . Midway through the following season , he was re - signed by the Canucks to a three - year contract extension on January 27 , 2003 . The day after signing , he injured his foot , sidelining him for 14 games . With his season shortened by injury , he recorded a career - high 40 assists to go with six goals in 2002 – 03 . His 46 points ranked 10th overall in the league and marked the fourth conescutive year he led Canucks defencemen in scoring . Jovanovski added eight points in 14 post - season games before the Canucks were eliminated in the second round by the Minnesota Wild . His seven goals led all league defencemen in playoff scoring . Midway through the 2003 – 04 season , he suffered a third - degree shoulder separation during a game against the Nashville Predators on January 25 , 2004 . Colliding with opposing forward Martin Erat , he fell to ice and slide into the rink boards . He returned late in the season to help the Canucks secure the Northwest Division title . In 56 games , he scored seven goals and 23 points . Adding four assists in seven playoff games , the Canucks were defeated in the first round by the Calgary Flames . Due to the NHL lockout , as well as rib and knee injuries sustained during the 2004 World Cup , Jovanovski was inactive during the 2004 – 05 season . When the NHL resumed play in 2005 – 06 , Jovanovski was on pace for a career year , but his season was interrupted by groin , foot and abdominal injuries . He finished with 33 points in 44 games for a career - high 0 . 75 points - per - game average . The Canucks suffered from Jovanovski missing the final 27 games of the season and did not qualify for the playoffs . Following the 2005 – 06 season , Jovanovski did not receive a contract offer from the Canucks and became an unrestricted free agent . The decision to let him go was influenced by the re - signings of Daniel and Henrik Sedin , as well as the acquisition of Roberto Luongo , leaving no room on the team ' s salary cap to retain Jovanovski . Phoenix Coyotes ( 2006 - 2011 ) . On July 1 , 2006 , Jovanovski joined the Phoenix Coyotes , signing a five - year , $ 32 . 5 million contract . Having received a contract offer from the Panthers , he was speculated to return to Florida , where he spent his summers . He cited being coached by Wayne Gretzky as a strong factor for choosing Phoenix . He was named to his fourth NHL All - Star Game in the subsequent season , but continued to be plagued with injuries . He missed the last 22 games of the regular season with an abdominal injury , limiting him to 29 points ( first among Coyotes defencemen ) in 54 games . In 2007 – 08 , Jovanovski set a career - high in points with 51 . He was suspended for one game during the season on December 1 , 2007 , for a hit to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Marian Gaborik . He appeared in his second consecutive All - Star Game in 2008 . The following season , Jovanovski ' s offensive production dipped to 36 points in 82 games , his lowest total since his third season with the Panthers in 1997 – 98 ( not including seasons with major injuries ) . Jovanovski began the 2009 – 10 season missing 10 games with a lower - body injury in November and early - December . Shortly after returning to the Coyotes lineup , he was suspended for two games by the NHL for a hit to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Andrew Ebbett with his forearm on December 7 , 2009 . The following month , he received another two - game suspension for elbowing New York Islanders rookie forward John Tavares in the head . Over 66 games during the season , he notched 10 goals and 34 points . Early in the 2010 – 11 season , Jovanovski was chosen to serve in place of the suspended Shane Doan as team captain from October 21 – 25 , 2010 . Over a week later , he recorded his first career NHL hat trick in a 4 – 3 win against the Nashville Predators on November 3 . He scored all three goals against goaltender Pekka Rinne , becoming the first Coyotes defenceman to score a hat trick in team history . On December 26 , he became the 256th player in NHL history to play 1 , 000 career games , reaching the feat against the Dallas Stars . Return to Florida ( 2011 - present ) . Jovanovski signed a four - year contract worth $ 16 . 5 million with the Florida Panthers on July 1 , 2011 . International play . Jovanovski competed for Canada ' s under - 20 team at the 1995 World Junior Championships , held in Alberta . Scoring two goals in seven games , he helped Canada go undefeated to win gold . Following his NHL rookie season , he was named as a reserve to the Canadian men ' s team for the 1996 World Cup . The youngest player on the roster , he did not appear in any games as Canada lost in the final to the United States . Two years later , Jovanovski competed at the 1998 World Championships in Switzerland . He was the second youngest player on the Canadian squad . He scored two goals and an assist over six games as Canada failed to qualify past the crossover round . He made his second World Championships appearance at the 2000 tournament in Russia . He scored a goal and an assist over nine games . Canada lost the semifinal 2 – 1 to the Czech Republic , before losing the bronze medal game 2 – 1 to Finland . In December 2001 , he was chosen to Canada ' s Olympic team for the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City . Playing the United States in the gold medal game , Jovanovski earned an assist on the game - winning goal , backhanding a saucer pass from the point to Joe Sakic on a two - man advantage . Canada went on to win the gold medal by a 5 – 2 score . Jovanovski had three points , all assists , in total . Prior to the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout , Jovanovski played for Team Canada in the 2004 World Cup . He suffered a cracked rib and a second degree sprain on his medial collateral ligament during the first game against the United States , sidelining him for the rest of the tournament . He was replaced by San Jose Sharks defenceman Scott Hannan in the lineup . Canada went on to win the championship over Finland in the final . The following year , he competed at the 2005 World Championships in Austria . In the semifinal , Jovanovski scored the game - winning goal against Russia in a 4 – 3 win . Advancing to the gold medal game , Canada lost 3 – 0 to the Czech Republic , earning silver . He finished the tournament with a goal and two assists over nine games . Later that year , he was named to his second Canadian Olympic team for the 2006 Games in Turin , but was not able to play due to a lower abdominal injury . Making his fourth World Championships appearance in 2008 , Jovanovski earned a second straight silver medal . He recorded one assist over nine games as Canada lost in the gold medal game by a 5 – 4 score in overtime to Russia . Playing style . Jovanovski is known as a two - way defenceman . Able to contribute offensively , he is an adept puck - carrier and joins plays deep in the opposing team ' s zone . He plays defence physically , bodychecking opponents primarily with his shoulder . In both aspects of his game , he is considered to play with a high level of risk , taking the chance of being out of position in favour of a good scoring chance or a hit . Personal life . Jovanovski was born in Windsor , Ontario , to Kostadin and Lilja Jovanovski . His parents immigrated to Canada in 1973 from Macedonia . Coming from an athletic family , Kostadin was a semi - professional soccer player in Yugoslavia . Jovanovski followed after his father and played organized soccer growing up . He did not start playing hockey until age 11 , when his older brother , Denny , joined a team . During his junior career , Jovanovski and two other Windsor Spitfire teammates were charged with sexually assaulting a 24 - year - old woman in February 1995 . After a pre - trial hearing in June , the Crown attorney dropped the charges in August due to a lack of convincing evidence . Beginning his NHL career with the Florida Panthers , he owned a condominium in Boca Raton , Florida . He met his wife , Kristin , in Florida and retained a residence in Boca Raton , where he spent his summers . Jovanovski and Kristin had their first child , daughter Kylie Everett on August 22 , 1998 . Three years later , Kyra was born , while her twin sister died in utero . Kristin was later pregnant with twins a second time and gave birth to son Cole and daughter Coco on May 25 , 2006 , in Florida . In 2005 , Jovanovski was featured in a documentary aired on multicultural network Omni Television . Entitled " The Late Bloomer : Ed Jovanovski " , it explored his career , family tragedy and attachments to his Macedonian heritage .