Hockey in the most Easternmost land of North America has seen a resurgence as of late. This is led by the St. John’s native, Alex Newhook who was a part of the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, Colorado Avalanche. Moreover, he was the first NHL champion from the province of Newfoundland and Labrador since 2011. That was when the Boston Bruins, and Bonavista’s own, Michael Ryder, accomplished the feat. At the time around that decade, Newfoundlanders were seeing their formidable glory days with names such as Adam Pardy, Ryan Clowe, and fellow cup champ, Daniel Cleary, among others. Now, players from the province are once again establishing themselves are successful NHL regulars.
Alex Newhook and Other Newfoundland NHL Prospects
The first player to look at is the arrival of Alex Newhook. He was a key role player on a very deep forward group. With players like Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who Newhook played with a lot last season, and last year’s number two centre-ice man, Nazem Kadri moved on, Newhook finds himself in a position with his destiny in his own hands. In saying this, the Avs do have two centremen ahead of Newhook in the depth charts with Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog. However, it looks as though Newhook’s ice time might be elevated, especially early on, with Landeskog out with injury. If Newhook can succeed in this early opportunity, it might build his case for additional ice time and responsibility all season long.
Analysis of Alex Newhook’s Statistic
This is Alex Newhook’s contract season, and he wants to have a productive and effective season. To add, in his first full NHL season in just 13:34 TOI he put up 33 points in 71 games played and a CF% of 52.7%. Furthermore, the Avalanche already have confidence in him, evidenced by his D-zone start of 52.7%. They were willing to work with him, as hopefully, he can bolster his FO% of 34.7% from last year, in over nearly 400 opportunities. If he can maintain his relative points per ice time numbers, and get more power play ice time, he could be in store for a nice raise, deservedly so.
The Mercer Brothers of Bay Roberts
Sticking with the hometown theme, Bay Roberts has plenty to look forward to over the next few years. Dawson Mercer has already established himself as a regular with the New Jersey Devils. Moreover, his brother, Riley Mercer was a bit of a surprise addition to the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp by way of an amateur tryout. He put in a strong enough showing for himself at camp to raise a few eyebrows, and give himself a reasonable shot at the professional transition within the next year or two. The Canadiens did send him back to his QMJHL club, the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Last season as a 17-year-old mostly, he appeared in 29 games posting a .886 SV%.
Dawson Mercer’s Upcoming Season
For the older Mercer, Dawson looks to build off a respectable rookie campaign. In his first NHL season, impressively skated a full 82-game schedule. He added 17 goals, 25 assists, for 42 points, with a relative corsi % of 2.0. Furthermore, he did a great job last year, taking advantage of top-six minutes, when Jack Hughes had missed more than a month to start the season with an injury. He is projected as a solidified top-six this year, likely starting with Nico Hischier and Ondrej Palat. If he can find some chemistry early, striving for 60 points would not be out of the question.
Zach Dean’s Progress
The upcoming Vegas Golden Knights prospect has shown off his skills at training camp thus far. It seems it is a foregone conclusion he is going back to junior. Additionally, he looks to use his strong play in camp, to help guarantee himself a spot on the 2023 World Junior Team Canada squad. If he goes back to junior, he will join his club in the QMJHL, the Gatineau Olympiques. Last year saw him tally 52 points in 47 games. The pieces are in place for Dean to have a big season in the QMJHL, then make Team Canada and succeed. This would join him with the likes of Newhook or Mercer to use the world juniors to springboard his career. That potentially allows Dean to forcibly push for a roster spot with Vegas for 2023-24.
Thoughts on Clark Bishop
Another name for fans of Newfoundlanders in the NHL to watch is Clark Bishop. Bishop finds himself under a one-year, two-way deal, worth $750,000 with the Calgary Flames. Last year saw Bishop get nine games with Ottawa. However, injuries prevented him from filling in more to a lineup that saw more than its share of injuries. He will use his work ethic this coming season, to make sure he is ready when opportunities come up for him to get himself into the Flames lineup.
A Fresh Face for Hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador
A pleasant surprise for fans of hockey in Newfoundland and Labrador, was when the Chicago Blackhawks selected Ryan Greene 57th overall in this past June’s entry draft. His 19 goals and 32 assists and 51 points in 59 games for the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL were enough to earn him the selection. Furthermore, he is committed to the University of Boston Terriers for the upcoming campaign to look to grow his skill set to the pro level.
Notes on Players Outside the NHL
Some other notes on players include the likes of Luke Adam. Adam has been in Germany in the DEL since 2016. Also, he played in 90 career NHL games starting back in 2010. At this point in his career, it does not seem like a jump back to the NHL fits. A journeyman, Zach O’Brien, currently spends most of his time with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL. That is to say, he did appear in 5 contests with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL last season. Finally, one more player to update is Cody Donaghey. Last year he found some comfort with the Slovak league of the HK Nitra. Within North American ranks, he last cracked the lineup in 2017-18 with the Belleville Senators.
