New Jersey
Devils Head Coach Tears Into Newly-Extended Defenseman as Team Flounders
NEWARK—The New Jersey Devils are not playing well as of late. And although their struggles appear team-wide, Saturday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators was seemingly the straw that broke the camel’s back. In his postgame press conference with the New Jersey media, head coach Sheldon Keefe called out defenseman, Johnathan Kovacevic, for his poor play.
READ MORE: Bratt’s Historic Night Marred; Devils’ Struggles Persist in Loss to Senators
Following the 3-2 loss, Kovacevic explained the Devils need to have a playoff-like mentality for the rest of the season, with the advantage of playing most of their games at the Prudential Center down the stretch.
“We have a pretty home-heavy schedule the rest of the rest of the way here. We got to make this place a hard place to play and a hard place to beat us,” Kovacevic explained. “I think that’s something that we want to take pride in. We’re in a fight, and hopefully that gets us in that playoff mentality 10-11, games out, and we carry that into the playoffs. Obviously the results are tough, but we’re in a fight here, and we’re not going to back down.”
Kovacevic was the direct culprit of New Jersey heading into an early power play during the first period on Saturday. He sent a puck over the glass and sat for a two-minute delay-of-game minor infraction.
Fortunately, the Devils were able to kill it off.
No harm, no foul.
However, over the last week, Kovacevic has really seen his struggles. At 5-on-5, he’s been out-chanced 24-31, with a 40.95 CF% and 39.29 xGF%.
*Per Natural Stat Trick
Keefe’s recognized that the defenseman who once was one of the NHLs best shut-down players this season has tailed off.
When prompted with Kovacevic’s message about the Devils having a playoff mentality, Sheldon Keefe put his defenseman on blast.
“Kovacevic just needs to play better. That would help,” Keefe scathed.
The criticism is harsh, but fair.
New Jersey just extended Johnathan Kovacevic to a five-year, $20 million contract. The extension was a reward for his positive play through most of the season.
Yet, since his usual defense partner, Jonas Siegenthaler, has been out of the lineup with injury, Kovacevic’s game has certainly waned.
The 27-year-old defenseman has shown he can be both reliable and unreliable without Siegenthaler by his side. He has yet to find the consistency he once touted, and it’s hurting the Devils at a crucial point of the season.
Kovacevic isn’t alone among players who need to be better. However, he was in Keefe’s crosshairs on Saturday.
For the newly extended, and far richer defenseman, the Devils need Kovacevic to find his game from earlier this season.
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New Jersey
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New Jersey
San Diego Wave FC Unveils “Balboa Park Kit”: New Community Jersey for 2026 Season – San Diego Wave Fútbol Club
Wave FC introduce all-new community kit inspired by San Diego’s Historic Balboa Park
Since 1868, Balboa Park has served as the city’s creative commons. Spanning 1,200 acres, the park is home to world-class museums, performing arts institutions, community gathering spaces, and everyday moments that define life in San Diego, from pickup soccer games to family picnics and cultural celebrations. Larger than New York’s Central Park and Chicago’s Millennium Park combined, Balboa Park represents the depth, diversity, and creative energy of the region.
Designed in collaboration with Nike, the bespoke kit draws the park’s historic architecture and vibrant tilework. The sleeve cuffs and collar feature the vibrant colors of pink, orange and blue, and patterns from Balboa Park’s tilework, translating architectural detail into wearable design.
Kaiser Permanente, who continues to serve as the official team physicians of Wave FC, is proudly featured on the front of the Balboa Park Kit for the fifth consecutive season. Additionally, San Diego based global leader in glucose management, Dexcom, the Club’s official glucose biosensing partner, is returning for the third year and will be featured on the right sleeve. The Club’s pride mark, a compass symbolizing direction, unity and purpose, is displayed on the lower left corner of the new jersey.
To celebrate the launch, San Diego Wave FC will host its 2026 Jersey Launch Event, presented by Jameson Irish Whiskey, tonight, February 26, at Plaza de Panama in Balboa Park, from 4-8 p.m. PT. The free, public event, will feature live entertainment, exclusive access to the Balboa Kit, giveaways, a Fifth Season museum experience, and community activations spotlighting leaders and organizations from across Balboa Park cultural community.
As part of the event, a portion of proceeds from the Balboa Park Kit will be donated to Forever Balboa Park, supporting the preservation, accessibility, and future of the park for generations to come. Fans can donate directly to Forever Balboa Park here. The San Diego Museum of Art will provide a complimentary gift to all Season Ticket Members at gift pickup for fans to use throughout the museum’s Centennial Celebration. Wave FC players will be in attendance throughout the evening, connecting the fans and celebrating the launch alongside the community.
Fans who purchase a Balboa Park Kit at the event or online on the day of launch will receive an exclusive Fifth Anniversary patch, commemorating the Club’s fifth season.
The Balboa Park Kit joins the Altamar Kit as part of San Diego’s full 2026 jersey collection and is now available here. Fans can select “pick up at event” for an expedited entry line at the Balboa Park event.
New Jersey
Devils Look to Bounce Back in Pittsburgh | PREVIEW | New Jersey Devils
THE SCOOP
After a loss on Wednesday to Buffalo, the Devils remain 11 points behind Boston and the Islanders for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
New Jersey has now lost four games in a row after having won six out of nine games prior to that.
They are 12 points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins who sit in second place in the Metro Division.
The Pens were red hot going into the break, having picked up points in 11 of 12 games (8-1-3) but now head into this next stretch of four to six weeks without their captain and best player, Sidney Crosby, who got injured in the Olympics.
Crosby leads the team with 27 goals and 59 points with Evgeni Malkin second in points at 44. Anthony Mantha is second on the team in goals with 20.
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