Alex Newhook

Alex Newhook (born January 28, 2001) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the first round, 16th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL entry draft and won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022, becoming the third player from Newfoundland and Labrador to do so, following Daniel Cleary (2008) and Michael Ryder (2011).

Newhook joined the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the 2017–18 season. He finished second in team scoring with 66 points in 45 games. Newhook also recorded nine points in 12 postseason games.

Early into the 2018–19 season, Newhook signed his Letter of Intent to join Boston College of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) beginning in the 2019–20 NCAA season.^[1] He led the BCHL in scoring his final year, recording 38 goals and 64 assists for 102 points in 53 games, earning the Vern Dye Memorial Award as the league's most valuable player.^[2] He was also named the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) most valuable player.^[3] Following the season, Newhook was selected in the first round, 16th overall, by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.^[4]

Newhook had an impressive freshman campaign with the Boston College Eagles, posting 19 goals and 23 assists for 42 points in 34 games. Collectively, he led all Hockey East freshmen in points and goals, all NCAA freshman in goals, and tied for seventh in scoring among all NCAA skaters. For his efforts, Newhook was named recipient of the Tim Taylor Award, becoming the first such player in Boston College history, as well as the Hockey East Rookie of the Year.^[5] He likewise earned Hockey East Second Team All-Star honors and would be named to the conference All-Rookie Team.^[6]

Newhook missed the start of his sophomore season at Boston College due to his participation in the 2021 World Juniors held in Edmonton, Alberta. Team Canada required their players to quarantine for a full two months ahead of the competition as they held training camp in Red Deer, Alberta.^[7] After returning to campus following a silver medal result with Team Canada, Newhook was injured in his season debut. This, combined with early quarantine protocols, resulted in Newhook appearing in just 12 games that season, posting seven goals and 16 points for the Eagles.^[8]

On March 31, 2021, Newhook ended his collegiate career by agreeing to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He was assigned by the Avalanche to begin his professional career with American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.^[9] After producing at the AHL level, collecting five goals and nine points through eight games, Newhook was called up to the Avalanche's taxi squad on May 2, 2021.^[10] He made his NHL debut on May 5, 2021, in a Colorado Avalanche 3–2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.^[8] Newhook appeared in six games with the Avalanche during the 2020–21 season. Continuing into the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored his first NHL goal on May 21, 2021, in the third game of the Avalanche's first-round series against the St. Louis Blues.^[11] He ultimately appeared in eight playoff games, before the team was ousted in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights.^[12]

Newhook made the Avalanche's opening night roster for the 2021–22 season, but coach Jared Bednar sent him back to the Eagles after the first game, seeking "more confidence with the puck." He played ten games in the AHL and eventually returned to the Avalanche, playing 71 regular season games with 13 goals and 20 assists. Bednar did not initially make use of Newhook in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, being out of the lineup for the entire first round against the Nashville Predators and all but two of six games against the Blues in the second round. However, he then played through the entirety of the Western Conference Final series against the Edmonton Oilers and the eventual victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, finishing with four assists in 12 games.^[13]

The 2022–23 season was poised at the outset to be a significant opportunity for Newhook, as the departure of longtime second line centreman Nazem Kadri left a positional vacancy that the team would give him the opportunity to fill.^[13] Newhook later said that the departing Kadri had encouraged him of his ability to handle this task.^[14] He soon experienced difficulties in this endeavour, not aided by an array of injuries to other Avalanche players, and was soon supplanted by J.T. Compher. As well, coach Bednar frequently preferred to play him as winger.^[15] On December 5, Newhook skated in his 100th career NHL game, a 5–3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring a goal.^[16] He finished the regular season with 14 goals and 16 assists in 82 games.^[15] The Avalanche were unexpectedly upset in the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Seattle Kraken, with Newhook registering only one assist in seven games and seeing his ice-time decline.^[17][18] By season's end, it was widely assessed that he had not been able to take the next step the team had been hoping he would, raising questions as to his future with the team.^[15][19][17] Newhook himself would subsequently say "there were times that I maybe could have got a bit more opportunity and definitely could have done better with the opportunity I was given at times. For whatever reason, I didn't have as good a year as I wanted to."^[18]

As an impending free agent following the conclusion of his entry-level contract with the Avalanche, Newhook was traded to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for both a first and second round pick in 2023 and prospect Gianni Fairbrother on June 27, 2023.^[20] The trade reunited him with his former agent, Kent Hughes, with the foregoing now serving as the Canadiens' general manager.^[21] On July 11, 2023, Newhook was re-signed by the Canadiens to a four-year, $11.6 million contract extension.^[22]

Newhook played his first game with the Canadiens on October 11, 2023, scoring two goals in the team's season opener. Initially, he had been placed on the team's second line with Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovský, a pairing that received strong initial assessments ^[23] prior to the former sustaining a long-term injury in only the team's second game of the 2023–24 season. As a result, head coach Martin St. Louis announced that Newhook would be shifted back to the centre position to replace Dach.^[24] After struggling at the centre position, Newhook would be placed back to the wing following Christian Dvorak's return to the lineup in early November.^[25] Enjoying more success in that role, he registered seven goals and six assists, ranking fourth on the team in points, before sustaining a high ankle sprain in a November 30 game against the Florida Panthers which resulted in a prolonged absence.^[26] Newhook would ultimately return after missing a total of 27 games on February 10, 2024 versus the Dallas Stars.^[27]

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Junior Championships
	2021 Canada

Newhook was selected to participate for Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. He recorded three goals and registered six points at the tournament, helping Canada capture the silver medal, falling in the gold medal game to rival United States whom featured fellow Boston College linemate Matthew Boldy as well as teammate Spencer Knight.^[8]

Newhook was born to parents Paula and Shawn in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador^[28] and began skating at the age of 4.^[29] As a child, he idolized fellow Newfoundlander and Stanley Cup champion Daniel Cleary, describing the foregoing as "a guy that I...dreamt of being like him when I grew up."^[29]

Newhook's younger sister Abby is also a hockey player. In a questionnaire for the NHL, he responded to the prompt "not a lot of people know that I..." with: "have a sister who is better than me at hockey." Abby Newhook played for the preparatory school Tabor Academy's team and the Bay State Breakers,^[28] before, like her brother, playing for Boston College.^[30][31]

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2017	Canada Black	U17	7th		5	1	3	4	4
2019	Canada	U18	4th		7	5	5	10	0
2021	Canada	WJC			6	3	3	6	2
Junior totals					18	9	11	20	6

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com, or The Internet Hockey Database