Newhook signs 4-year, $11.6 million contract with Canadiens

Alex Newhook signed a four-year, $11.6 million contract with the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. It has an average annual value of $2.9 million.

The 22-year-old forward was a restricted free agent. He had been acquired in a trade with the Colorado Avalanche on June 27. Colorado received a first-round (Mikhail Gulyayev) and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and defenseman prospect Gianni Fairbrother. The Avalanche used the second-round pick as part of the trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Ross Colton.

Newhook had 30 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 82 games with the Avalanche last season, and one assist in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games.

"I think Montreal's style fits my game pretty well, playing off the rush," Newhook said. "I'm a guy that likes to attack with speed in every area of the game, and I think being able to bring that speed to a rush attacking team and a team that likes to play in transition, I think it's exciting. I think it'll be good for me and it'll be good for the team to just kind of have another guy that can play off the rush and create offense."

Selected in the first round (No. 16) in the 2019 NHL Draft, Newhook has 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in 159 games and seven points (one goal, six assists) in 27 playoff games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022.

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"It was definitely emotional being moved, but at the same time there was a lot of excitement, obviously, coming to a younger team and I think with a bit more opportunity than what was in Colorado," Newhook said. "It's an exciting opportunity for me, an exciting place to be and be in a great city, close to home and in a great market. I'm really looking forward to it.

"I think I can bring a lot of speed to this team, a lot of speed and skill. I know we're a young team, and I think even though I'm a younger player, I think having been through a Cup run and having one already, I can bring some of that experience to the team."

NHL.com independent correspondent Sean Farrell contributed to this report