They call him Captain Kovacs

Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák Steel Bulls have named veteran defenseman Bronson Kovacs their team captain for the 2020-2021 season.

Based in Central Hungary, the Steel Bulls are part of the Erste Liga professional hockey league.

The 2020-2021 campaign, which begins shortly, will mark the sixth season of pro hockey in Hungary for Kovacs, who is a 30-year old native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

The well-grounded, likeable Kovacs has a family link to Hungary, which is the homeland of his late paternal grandfather, Zoltan Kovacs Sr.

Kovacs, who returns home to the Sault to live with his dad and mom — Zoltan Jr. (Toots) and Diana Kovacs — during the off season, told Hockey News North the upcoming term could be his final one in professional hockey, adding that he hopes to return to his hometown and begin a career in law enforcement.

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound Kovacs played all of his minor hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, advancing to the Soo North Stars of the Great North Midget Hockey League and the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and the Huntsville Otters of the Ontario Jr. Hockey League.

He then spent four full years with the Hobart College Statesmen of the Eastern College Athletic Conference.

During his career at Hobart, Kovacs served as team captain in his senior season and helped lead the Statesmen to its fifth National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament appearance in program history in 2014-2015.

In all, Kovacs played in 98 career games at Hobart and scored 19 goals, 26 assists, 45 points.

In the classroom, Kovacs graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and anthropology and was a three-time member of the ECAC all-academic team.