Jon Merrill

Jonathon Merrill (born February 3, 1992) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, Vegas Golden Knights, Detroit Red Wings, and Montreal Canadiens. The Devils selected Merrill in the second round, 38th overall, of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Early life
Merrill was born February 3, 1992, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family moved to Grand Blanc, Michigan, three years later, and Merrill began playing ice hockey with his older brother at the age of four. He went on to play minor ice hockey with the Detroit Little Caesars youth team, appearing with the team at the 2004 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. A childhood fan of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Detroit Red Wings, Merrill was selected as one of the team's flag bearers during the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. In high school, Merrill spent two years with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP), based not far from his home in Brighton, Michigan. During the 2009–10 season, Merrill had one goal and eight assists in 22 games for the NTDP. During his time at the NTDP, he and three other players, including Matt Nieto, were suspended for sexual harassment and lewd behaviour.

College
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."

New Jersey Devils (2013–2017)
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, sustaining 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.

Vegas Golden Knights (2017–2020)
On June 21, 2017, Merrill was selected in the NHL Expansion Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights. On January 16, 2018, Merrill signed a two-year, $2.75 million contract extension with the Golden Knights.

Detroit Red Wings (2020–2021)
After three seasons as an original member of the Golden Knights, Merrill left the club as a free agent and was signed to a one-year, $925,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings on October 9, 2020. In the shortened 2020–21 season, Merrill registered five assists in 36 games from the blueline for the Red Wings before he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Hayden Verbeek and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft on April 11, 2021.

Montreal Canadiens (2021)
Merrill made 13 further regular season appearances with the Canadiens, going scoreless, before featuring in 13 playoff games in helping Montreal reach the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Minnesota Wild (2021–present)
As a free agent from the Canadiens, Merrill joined his fifth NHL organization in agreeing to terms with the Minnesota Wild on a one-year, $850,000 contract on July 29, 2021.

On January 11 2022, Merrill was signed to a three-year, $3.6 million extension with the Wild.

International play
Merrill first represented the United States internationally at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championships, where he recorded two assists in seven games en route to a gold medal victory over Sweden. He won another gold medal the next year at the 2010 IIHF World U18 Championships, recording one assist in seven games and being named one of the top three Team USA players in the tournament.

Personal Life
Jon is married to Jessica Merrill. Together, they are advocates for the LGBTQ community.

Awards and honors
Jon and Jessica were named "2024 Allies of the Year" for Twin Cities Pride.