Alex Newhook has all of the offensive skills and abilities that any team is looking for. He is a fast, undersized center, who likes to play with speed and do everything quickly. He seems to be able to create offence consistently and possesses tremendous puck skills and playmaking abilities. He is both a good passer and shooter, and being a very unselfish player, he can make you pay in a number of ways.
Newhook projects to be a top line center who will create plenty of offensive chances, and who will also be a force on the power play. Being a bit undersized, he should fill out and add strength to help him transition to the pro game more efficiently. He really excels right now, and when he does make mistakes, he is able to quickly recover because of his extreme speed and skills, regaining possession and control so it does not hurt him much at this point.
He needs to work on his strength and be tougher on the puck. While he does works hard to rectify and fix the mistakes that he has made, weak efforts lead to turnovers and giveaways too often.
He will also have to use his shot more often, as he won’t be able to dominate with his speed and dance his way to the net at the pro level. After he adds size, weight and more strength, he will be a real force to take the puck from and should translate to more of the same at the higher levels.
| Alex Newhook | 2019 Draft Eligible |
|---|---|
| Position: C, Shoots L | H/W: 5-11", 190 lbs |
| Stats to date (GP-G-A-PTS-PIMS) | Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL (53-38-64-102-21) |
Alex Newhook
Skating: Newhook is a terrific skater with excellent balance and agility. His has an extra gear and his top end speed is impressive to say the least. He moves and shifts his feet quickly and can change direction instantly. He keeps a wide base, and accelerates quickly with his powerful strides, and really gets going with his incredibly strong start and takeoff. With lots of power in his first three strides, he takes flight quickly and uses his speed to his advantage as he is able to fly through open ice. He can blow by defenders with ease as he catches them out of position, and cuts through traffic regularly to create breakaways and odd man rushes. He moves notably well in all directions, and he is very skilled in his edge work. He skates effortlessly around the ice, and uses his speed to forecheck and back check hard, and to chase down and retrieve pucks. Grade: 60
Shot: Newhook is a finisher with a great shot. He has a great one timer that he uses regularly to beat goaltenders and put pucks in the net. It has good speed and velocity, and he really gets all of it. He has a very accurate snap and wrist shot, with a real quick release. He likes to drag the puck, change angles, and then pick his spot. Because of his speed and style of play, he does not have to use his shots, as he is usually forcing the play with breakaways, odd man rushes, and in close goals. Grade: 55
Skills: Newhook is a highly skilled offensive player who is always making things happen and involved in the play. He has exemplary puck skills, nice soft hands, and great vision and passing skills. He likes to have the puck on his stick, controls the puck with ease, and can impressively dangle and stickhandle around defenders. He can handle the puck with speed and accuracy, using his quick hands as he both carries the puck and make moves in transition and at top speed. He has superb playmaking and passing abilities, as he is both creative and accurate with the puck. He is very patient with the puck and very deceptive to defenders, as he likes to dangle and engage multiple opponents as he finds lanes and ways to get the puck to the net or open teammates. With his vision and patience, he can read plays and react to them or lead them to make things happen. He also likes to drag the puck, change angles and lanes, and open up other options or opportunities. Grade: 60
Smarts: Newhook is a very smart player who possesses extremely high hockey sense and IQ. He has excellent vision as he sees the ice well and what transpires on it. He is able to read plays and react accordingly, make smart plays with the puck, and without the puck as his play is also really strong in his own end of the ice. He is a strong defensive player who can track the puck well, get in and take away lanes, and uses his stick wisely and actively to create turnovers and disrupt plays. He has good knowledge, and knows where he should be on the ice, and uses his good positioning and tenacious forecheck to support and help his team transition. He also is smart enough to know how to use his teammates to both his advantage and theirs, as he is able to lead them to open areas and set up their many different scoring chances. Grade: 60
Physicality: Newhook is a smaller player who does not boast a physical type of game. Aside from that, he will not shy away from the physical element of the game, and is willing to stand in there and take hits to make plays. He is strong on his skates, and does not get intimidated or rattled by physicality. He does play a strong and aggressive style though, and likes to engage opponents and drive the net. Grade: 50
Overall Future Projection (OFP): 58
A note on the 20-80 scale used above. We look at five attributes (skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ and physicality) for skaters and six for goalies (athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling). Each individual attribute is graded along the 20-80 scales, which includes half-grades. The idea is that a projection of 50 in a given attribute meant that our observer believed that the player could get to roughly NHL average at that attribute at maturity