Johnathan Kovacevic attributes his success to his parents for instilling in him a positive outlook. The Montreal Canadiens defenseman Johnathan is the son of his Montenegrian father Novica and his Bosnian mother Angie.

Novica was a software engineer, and Angie was an IV nurse at a premier Ontario hospital. In addition, Kovacevic also enrolled in civil engineering since he believed he needed to be ready in case hockey didn’t work out.

After a chat with Jets scout Max Giese midway through the 2016–17 season, he began considering a career in the NHL.

The Winnipeg Jets selected him in the third round, 74th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. On March 17, 2019, Kovacevic sealed a two-year entry-level deal with the Jets after three seasons at Merrimack College.

Johnathan Kovacevic Parents Novica And Angie Met In The Summer Of 1991

Ice hockey defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic was raised by his parents, Novica and Angie, in Ontario, Canada. Meanwhile, they first met in the summer of 1991, only a few months after Novica moved to Canada.

A familiar acquaintance in Hamilton’s Serbian community initially attempted to set them up during a group picnic. When a scheduling mishap prevented that, their buddy tried a different approach: they welcomed Novica and Angie for supper at their house. The connection was instant, and the commitment came quickly after.

To make matters worse, Novica had landed in Canada on a six-month visa in May 1991, as stated by The Athletic. The couple discussed ideas for Novica to leave Canada and return, but they were eventually abandoned. However, by the end of the year, they were married.

Married for 30 years, his mother utilized her schooling in Hamilton to become an IV nurse, mainly dealing with cancer patients at a leading cancer care facility.

Angie had intended to retire in January 2020 but was called back when COVID-19 strained personnel resources.

Johnathan Kovacevic Mother Grew Up Without Electricity Or Running Water

The 25-year-old Johnathan Kovacevic’s journey to his first NFL game, which he played for the Jets, began outside of a small hamlet in Bosnia. His mother Angie was born there and grew up raised without running water or electricity.

According to The Athletic, her family lived on a small subsistence farm, utilizing a horse and cart for mobility, until emigrating to Canada when she was eight years old.

Besides, Angie’s parents bet that she and her two brothers’ lives would be smoother in Canada than they had been in Bosnia. She worked as an IV nurse at a premier Ontario hospital when her family first moved to Hamilton; they had neither English nor a college degree.

His Father Novica Worked As A Software Engineer

Novica (No-VEET-sa), the father of Jonathan Kovacevic, was raised in Sarajevo, Bosnia, where he enrolled at a prestigious technical institution.

Throughout the 1980s, his father worked as a software programmer in Sarajevo, traveling to locations like England and Japan for jobs before Yugoslavia’s gradual disintegration plunged into various conflicts.

Fortunately, Novica took the wise decision to begin a new life as the possibility of war loomed in 1988 and 1989. In May 1991, he left for Canada. A few weeks later, war broke out in Slovenia, and over the next years, it grew harrowingly worse in Croatia and Bosnia.

In Sarajevo, Novica had witnessed Muslims, Christians, and people of all ethnicities coexisting peacefully and working side by side, as reported by The Athletic. 

Without the Yugoslav Wars, he would have preferred to continue working and traveling in what had been an exquisite setting during the 1980s. Instead, in the summer of 1991, he discovered himself in Hamilton, secure, sound, and about to fall madly in love.

Johnathan Kovacevic Two Siblings: Ryan And Daniela

The 25-year-old defenseman Johnathan grew up with his two siblings, a brother named Ryan and a sister named Daniela.

Besides, his brother is also an engineer, and his sister is an occupational therapist who works with youngsters at the Waitemata District Health Board in New Zealand.

In addition, she graduated from McMaster University with a Master of Science in occupational therapy in 2019, as per her LinkedIn page.