Alex Newhook: Kent Hughes selected him for his core group

Mathis Therrien
Alex Newhook: Kent Hughes selected him for his core group
Credit: NHL.com

The signing of forward Alex Newhook really came out of nowhere earlier this evening.

We hadn't even recovered from the discussions surrounding Arber Xhekaj's signing when the Montreal Canadiens threw another curveball with Newhook's contract extension.

The Habs' No. 15 is under contract for four more seasons at $4.5 million per year, starting after the 2026–2027 season.

It's an excellent deal for the Habs, as Kent Hughes has once again proven himself a genius by keeping his players in Montreal on great contracts.

When you consider Ryan Leonard's $10.5 million deal or Noah Ostlund's $6.6 million deal, we're very happy with Newhook's contract.

In short, at 25 years old, Newhook is in Montreal to stay, as Kent Hughes has clearly identified him as part of his core group for the Habs' future.

Hughes is placing Newhook at the heart of his long-term plans, which shows just how much confidence the general manager has in him.

The #15 is one of the 11 core players on the Habs' roster who are locked in for at least through 2030, proving just how much he's part of the plan compared to guys like Kirby Dach and Arber Xhekaj.

Zachary Bolduc is also on this impressive list compiled by Guillaume Villemaire, having recently signed a four-season contract with the Habs.

It's therefore clear that Newhook is a key player in the team's success for Hughes, as he's positioned at the center of the core.

It's worth noting that Newhook is a former client of Kent Hughes.

Newhook had an excellent playoff run with the Habs, emerging as an unsung hero on several occasions, not to mention his solid regular season with 25 points in 42 games.

In short, let's hope that #15 stays healthy and plays up to the level of talent and tenacity he showed us in the 2026 playoffs.


In a Nutshell

– We're keeping an eye out.

– For those interested.

– And rightly so.

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