Acquired in a mid-season trade with the Florida Panthers, Ed Jovanovski joined Vancouver in the formative years of their rebuild towards the West Coast Express era of Canucks hockey.

Part of a deal which involved seven pieces in total, Jovanovski left Florida (where he was selected first overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft) alongside a first-round selection, Mike Brown, Kevin Weekes and Dave Gagner; the cost was hefty, with Vancouver dealing Pavel Bure, Bret Hedican, Brad Ference and a third-round selection.

The table was set for a very successful seven years with the Vancouver Canucks. Lets take a trip down memory lane, why don’t we?

Jovanovski ingratiating himself to Canucks faithful with a spirited tilt soon after being acquired:

He was pretty damn good at this fighting thing…

He also knew how to celebrate a goal in style. From the penalty box, no less:

Jovanovski’s transition to the Vancouver Canucks wasn’t the smoothest. He suffered a broken foot just a month after joining the Canucks and was involved in an ugly altercation with Montreal Canadiens forward, Shayne Corson, upon returning; an incident which involved Jovanovski receiving a nasty high stick and being chased to the locker room for a screaming match.

In his second season with the Canucks, Jovanovski found his footing. He quickly established himself as one of the Canucks better defenders and helped to form a deadly first pairing. His offensive instincts were always at the forefront, along with his plus ability to transition the puck from his own end and a decidedly violent mean streak – the guy could scrap and loved to.

Perhaps it’s a byproduct of my age, but I’ve long considered Jovanovski’s game relatively similar to that of Kevin Bieksa’s. Great, if underrated, offensive punch with an awesome transitional game and the penchant for the occasional mental mistake from their own end. It seems apt. Interestingly enough, Bieksa got his break in Jovanovski’s final season with the Canucks.

Unfortunately, the realities imposed by the new salary cap landscape which followed the 2004-05 lockout forced the Canucks to part with Jovanovski in free agency. Jovanovski went on to join the Phoenix Coyotes, where he enjoyed some relatively successful seasons towards the twilight of his career. He eventually retired back where it all started, with the Florida Panthers.