Introduction
Jonathon Merrill (born February 3, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing with the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Merrill was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the 2nd round (38th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. Merrill was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, but grew up in Brighton, Michigan.
Playing career
Prior to turning professional, Merrill played NCAA college hockey with the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team. Merrill was suspended for the first 12 games of the 2011-12 season by the University of Michigan for "violating team rules." It is common knowledge that Merrill had been dealing with some off-ice issues.
On March 27, 2013, the New Jersey Devils signed Merrill to a three-year entry-level contract, and he began the 2013–14 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Albany Devils.
In the 2013-14 season, Merrill made his NHL debut on November 3, 2013, skating with the Devils in a game against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center, but less than five minutes into he game he fell into the boards and sustained severe facial lacerations. and a concussion.
He scored his first NHL goal on February 7, 2014, a game winner in overtime against Ilya Bryzgalov of the Edmonton Oilers, making him the first Devil to score his first NHL goal in overtime.
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2008–09 | U.S. National Development Team | NAHL | 26 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | U.S. National Development Team | USHL | 22 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 42 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 19 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | University of Michigan | CCHA | 21 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Albany Devils | AHL | 12 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Albany Devils | AHL | 15 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 2013–14 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 52 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 66 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 47 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 51 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 216 | 6 | 30 | 36 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | United States | WJC18 | 01 ! |
7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 2010 | United States | WJC18 | 01 ! |
7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2011 | United States | WJC | 03 ! |
6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2012 | United States | WJC | 7th | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 25 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 12 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NCAA All-Tournament Team | 2011 |