The Newfoundlanders first connected in warmups when he flipped Hemeon a puck. Then after the game, through Geoff Molson and another Canadiens employee, Newhook discovered that his mom, Paula – who was also in attendance that night – and the Hemeon family were on the same flight back to the East Coast. Less than 24 hours later, his game-used stick was in Hemeon’s hands at the airport.
“Him, Geoff, Paula and the Canadiens team, for them to get Maddie that stick, that meant everything to her,” said Hemeon’s father, Dwayne.
Giving back to the community is an unwritten rule in hockey, and one that Newhook lives by. The 22-year-old's generosity transcends the confines of the Bell Centre, and Newhook has already labeled his resume with an array of acts of kindness.
“It’s not just something I do because I feel like we should; it’s also something I enjoy doing,” he said. “For us as players, with the status we have, there are lots of opportunities to give back in different ways and I try to do my part.”
Naturally, perhaps even unknowingly, he does.
Six days after Newhook suffered a high ankle sprain on November 30, the Canadiens held their annual holiday hospital visits. Practically immobile, and with a hall pass staring him in the eyes, he looked far past it.
“I think those hospital visits are special. I think it’s one of those moments that, given our status as athletes in the city, we’re able to step back and realize how lucky we are,” voiced the St. John’s, NL native. “Seeing some of these kids and seeing how it changes their mood while we’re there and changes their spirits, it’s pretty cool to see and something I enjoy doing. It was a pretty special day.”
Rather than using the injury – one that required a medical scooter to get around – as an excuse for his absence from the team’s charitable tradition, Newhook transformed it into a relatable narrative for the patients at the Shriner’s Hospital for Children – Canada in Montreal.
“I think for some of them, seeing me with an injury made it kind of easier to relate to,” said the 2019 first-round pick.
And if still they couldn’t, Youppi! was there for backup.