Alex Newhook: The Canadiens multitool

Alex Newhook has struggled to find a real identity on the Montreal Canadiens since being acquired during the 2023 offseason. Now entering year three of a four-year contract, he’s looking to find his place.

Last year, Newhook’s role was that of a guy you threw anywhere there was a gap. Kirby Dach is out? Throw in Newhook. The third line is struggling? Throw in Newhook. Top line not producing for a few games? Newhook to the first line. You get the picture.

This year, Newhook may find himself in his most effective spot yet; the penalty kill.

“I mean, there’s no secret to who we lost this year, this offseason.” said Newhook during a training camp media availability. “With Dvo [Christian Dvorak] and Army [Joel Armia] leaving, two big guys who played a lot of minutes on the kill last year, there’s a big opportunity there, a big hole to fill.”

“The message from the coaching staff and my mindset coming in is that I can fill that role, I can be that guy to be reliable in that situation on the kill, be a defensive guy this year that can be relied upon in some big situations.”

So far in the pre-season, Newhook has looked right at home killing off penalties, a nice secondary option to Jake Evans, roaming near the blue line and keeping pressure high in the zone.

Throughout pre-season, the St. John’s native has brought those defensive efforts to five-on-five play with great consistency. His speed allows him to backcheck quickly and aggressively, while his agility and active stick make him a nuisance in open ice.

During the bloodbath of a pre-season game against Ottawa that was September 30th in Quebec, Newhook was on a line with Oliver Kapanen and budding superstar Ivan Demidov. The instant chemistry was undeniable. Having two speedy, zone-entering threats who can read off each other created lots of options, with a reliable centreman in Kapanen rounding things out. In fact, this line opened up the scoring in said game, utilizing all these factors.

I feel a quote Lane Hutson gave earlier in training camp feels appropriate to how Alex Newhook has approached the offseason and camp.

“I think you’re always fighting for spots, there are no guarantees ever for jobs. Everyone wants to play for the big club and show what they can do. The fight never stops. You always want to be ready when your name’s called, whether it’s pre-season, regular season or playoffs. You always want to be ready.”

Over this summer alone, you saw Alex Newhook putting in work on all aspects of his game, most notably drilling faceoffs in August with San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith and the direction of legendary Bruins centreman Patrice Bergeron.

Newhook truly has the opportunity to find himself an important role on this team. He’s tried to fill out every aspect of his game, and his team-first attitude pairs nicely with his training.

Whether it’s an option at centre, a linemate with Demidov, or your new go-to penalty-killer, Newhook is making sure he’s ready to answer the call. All the Habs have to do is dial number 15.