Across his hockey career, Marko Jakovljevic has developed into a solid defenseman and respected teammate, culminating in signing a professional contract with the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL.
Jakovljevic, who was born and raised in Brantford, explained his early start in hockey, getting a chance to play in the OHL and being under the tutelage of several NHL legends.
“Like most people in my position, you start playing at a really young age…basically, I could almost skate before walking. I grew up playing in Brantford and played minor hockey there, working my way up. Eventually, I was drafted by the Sarnia Sting in the inaugural midget draft, and I was lucky enough that everything aligned and I got a chance to play. I made that team in 2017 and being a kid from Ontario…it’s a dream to play in the OHL. You watch these games as a kid, and it doesn’t even seem real that I had the opportunity to do it,” Jakovljevic said. “Also, I had NHL legends on the bench coaching me like Derian Hatcher, David Legwand, and Brad Staubitz. This is where I learned what it takes to be a good teammate and how to build a good dressing room where everyone gets along. We had a tight-knit group during those three years. Although we didn’t have the most success on the ice, we all stuck together. And I still have a lot of really close friends from that time to this day.”
However, after three years of playing with the Sting, Jakovljevic needed to make a decision as COVID hit.
“Unfortunately, COVID during that time shut everything down and I had to make other plans..I ended up playing in the east coast, with the Amherst Ramblers [of the Maritime Junior Hockey League] I felt like I needed to try to play hockey that year and there was no hockey in Ontario…it was the first time I had ever been traded in junior,” he said. “I was able to go out there with one of my best friends, Griffen Fox who’s also from Brantford and who’s playing pro right now. And so that was a lot of fun to play on the east coast [and] there were a lot of kids from out of province including Ontario because this was one of the only leagues playing meaningful hockey.”
The defenseman would then again look at his options and decided to enroll at Ontario Tech University and noted how the coaching there helped him develop.
“I wanted to have an opportunity to develop for four years. And I know that sometimes when guys are playing hockey at school…it just starts to wear on them a little bit. It is tough to balance…to do the student-athlete thing, but I didn’t want my development as a player to regress. So, I wanted to go somewhere where I could get a decent opportunity right away,” he said. “The coaching staff at Ontario Tech was phenomenal, and my first year, our defense coach was Paul Ranger who had a pretty good NHL career and was very helpful. And then our new defense coach came in, who was Rob Powers…he was probably my biggest mentor since I’ve been at school and I credit him with my strong development. He helped me become the player I am today…and I had coach Curtis Hodgins too [who] gave me every opportunity that I needed to succeed.”
Although he recently signed a professional contract, Jakovljevic still looks to get his degree.
“I did kinesiology for the first two and a half years and I ended up just switching into a Bachelor of Arts which gave me a chance to pick and choose different courses that I wanted to study and learn, and gives me the flexibility to continue doing school especially during the summer,” Jakovljevic said.
Along with continuing in hockey, Jakovljevic has also excelled at Jiu Jitsu, which he discovered while attending school.
“I immediately fell in love with it, [and] team DNA is such a good community and welcomed me with open arms. I had a lot of early success which helped me improve rapidly,” explained Jakovljevic. “I feel as though training for Jiu Jitsu translates to hockey and life in many different ways like overcoming adversity, staying calm in tough situations, and taking yourself outside of your own comfort zone. My long-term goal is to continue being a part of the community…being a lifelong learner [and] getting a black belt too.”
However, Jakovljevic, was made captain of the team in his fourth year at university, but after the team lost in the playoffs in 2025, he felt that his hockey season wasn’t done and quickly found an opportunity with the Bloomington Bison of the ECHL.
“As soon as my season was over with Ontario Tech, as it was a best of three playoff series rather than a best of seven…the season was done pretty early in comparison to a lot of other leagues in North America. And honestly, I wasn’t ready to be done playing hockey at the end of February so I decided to reach out to the assistant general manager of the Bison, Dan Larmer, who’s also from Brantford, and has been a scout for the Peterborough Petes…he then got back to me and said he was happy I reached out and gave me an opportunity to play,” he said.
However, Jakovljevic is looking to adapt to the new system and contribute to the team’s push for a playoff spot.
“I’ve joined the team 60 games into their season. I came into this without knowing what to expect. I came here with a good attitude and being very excited, and feeling blessed to be getting paid to play the game that I love. I’m grateful that I have a chance to skate with amazing coaches and players and play at some unbelievable facilities. I’m growing as a player…soaking everything up like a sponge and obviously, a short-term goal is to make the playoffs this year, “Jakovljevic stated. “I’m here to help them attain that goal, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now., but next season, I’ll have to see where I end up playing. This is my first full year being a pro [and] whether I will play in North America or Europe, there are still so many unknowns.”
Nevertheless, for Jakovljevic, Brantford continues to be an important part of his life.
“Brantford is home. It’s always going to be home. I think we have such a wonderful hockey community, [and] I’m lucky growing up in the 2000-age group…as we still have six or seven guys who all played minor hockey together [and] are still playing pro and enjoying the grind …like Holden Whale, Griffen Fox, John Parker Jones, Hunter Jones, Andrew Bruder and Dan Murphy,” said Jakovljevic. “These are a couple of people who are really close to me. And I think it’s so great that we’re all still just grinding and trying to play this game at the highest level. Although we’re spread out all over North America right now, it’s fun to come home and see all of these guys and play ball hockey together every summer and to just reconnect.”
