Canadiens sign Alex Newhook to four-year extension

The Montreal Canadiens are keeping Alex Newhook for the rest of his prime years, signing the left-handed center to a four-year contract extension starting in the 2027-28 season and running through 2030-31. 

Heading into the 2026-27 season at 25, Newhook’s new deal will earn him $22.2 million over the contract’s duration, for an average annual value of $4.55 million. For the 2026-27 season, he will earn an AAV of $2.9 million, finishing his previous four-year, $11.6 million deal. 

A native of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Newhook has 70 goals and 81 assists for 151 points across 338 career NHL regular-season games played over parts of six seasons. The 2026-27 season will mark his fourth with the Canadiens, after joining from the Colorado Avalanche, where he spent three years and won the 2022 Stanley Cup. 

Last season, he netted 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 42 games, missing a significant chunk of the season due to a fractured ankle suffered in a game against the Dallas Stars in November. Now back healthy, he’ll look to live up to the organization’s trust, with the new deal in place. 

Originally drafted 16th overall by Colorado in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Newhook has already amassed ample playoff experience, scoring nine goals and 10 assists for 19 points in 51 career playoff games. In 2026, he posted seven goals and 10 points in 19 games with the Canadiens, helping them reach the Eastern Conference final, before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion, the Carolina Hurricanes. 

With expectations high for the Canadiens this season, fans will get their first glimpse of the NHL team on Sept. 19 when they take the ice in a split-squad doubleheader against the Toronto Maple Leafs to open the preseason, before turning their focus to the season opener against the same Maple Leafs in Toronto on Sept. 29.