Rookie Rewind: Alex Newhook

ColoradoAvalanche.com is profiling players who completed their rookie seasons with the organization in 2020-21. This installment takes a look at forward Alex Newhook.
While preparing for his freshman year on the Boston College roster, forward Alex Newhook was selected with the 16th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. Taking the leap from college to pro is no easy feat but after two seasons in Boston, Newhook was ready for the challenge.
Leading up to his NHL debut, Newhook competed in his sophomore year for Boston College racking up 16 points (seven goals and nine assists) in 12 games. He missed the first half of the season due to quarantine protocols ahead of the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship in Edmonton. While representing his country at the World Juniors, Newhook notched six points (three goals, three assists) while helping Team Canada win the silver medal.

He signed a three-year, entry-level contract on March 31 and after another brief quarantine, he made his professional debut with the Colorado Eagles in the American Hockey League on April 13. The 20-year-old recorded five goals and four assists in eight outings with the Eagles.
The St. John's, Newfoundland, native made another jump, this time playing in his first NHL game on May 5 at the San Jose Sharks with the Avalanche. He found the scoresheet for the first time with an assist on May 7 at the Los Angeles Kings and continued to make the lineup for the remaining four games of the regular season.
"I've been dreaming of it my whole life, it was exciting I called my parents right away, they were the first people to know" said Alex Newhook prior to his NHL debut.

Newhook then tacked on his first career multi-point game with a pair of assists on May 10 at the Vegas Golden Knights. In total Newhook recorded three assists and had a plus-5 rating in his first six outings in the league.
Despite the challenges that come with transitioning from college to pro, Newhook felt prepared for his NHL debut from his time with the Eagles.
"The guys have been great in welcoming me in and have kind of given me some pointers on what the game is kind of like," Newhook said when reflecting on his career with the Eagles.
In Game 3 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the St. Louis Blues, the forward recorded his first NHL career goal. His goal was the eventual game-winner, helping Colorado take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. He became the third skater in franchise history to score his first career goal in the playoffs and first since Cale Makar in 2018, and it was a very exciting time for Newhook.

"Everyone was coming up to me and congratulating me, it's a pretty cool feeling," Newhook said. "[Pierre-Edouard Bellemare], he told me that, I wish that someone had him on video for his celebration on the bench."
Entering his first full year at the pro level, Newhook is looking to make an impact on the team and remain an asset to the organization.