Colorado Avalanche first-round pick Alex Newhook made his AHL debut this week and recorded his first professional goal in his second career game. A Vegas Golden Knights prospect extended his point streak to 16 games and continues to pace the Western Hockey League in scoring. Ottawa Senators prospect Jacob Bernard-Docker made his NHL debut on Wednesday night after signing from the University of North Dakota earlier this month.
Newhook Records First AHL Goal
Newhook recorded his first career AHL goal in only his second game for the Colorado Eagles in their 6-2 victory over the Bakersfield Condors on Wednesday night. He failed to register a point in his professional debut on Tuesday but broke out for a goal and an assist in last night’s contest. The 20-year-old St. John’s native signed his entry-level contract earlier this month after his season with Boston College came to an end. The Avalanche already have offensive firepower on their NHL roster, but if Newhook adjusts well, he could act as a sneaky acquisition in Colorado’s push for the Stanley Cup.
THW’s Ilyas Hussein spoke about Newhook’s potential fit on the Avs’ roster in 2021-22 and beyond in a deep dive in February.
If he’s on the roster during the 2021-22 season, he will play most of his minutes on the third line, as he seems as a good fit there. However, past that, it may look different. Newhook has all the skill to play in the top-six, and he may find himself there in a few years. If his development continues in this upwards direction, he will become the perfect complementary piece to Colorado’s offense.
Drafted 16th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Newhook spent the 2019-20 season as a freshman at Boston College. He recorded 19 goals and 23 assists in 34 games played, tied for the team lead in scoring. He scored the most goals as a freshman and was awarded the Tim Taylor Award for the NCAA Top Collegiate Rookie. His sophomore season was cut short to 12 games, but he still managed to produce seven goals and nine assists. He represented Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship, winning a silver medal and amassing three goals and three assists in six games.
Krebs Extends Point Streak to 16 Games
Golden Knights prospect Peyton Krebs is off to an impressive start in his fourth and likely final WHL season with nine goals and 21 assists in 17 games played. After failing to register a point in the season opener, he is now on a 16-game point streak. He leads the league in scoring and is first in both assists and power-play goals. THW’s Ben Fisher listed Krebs as one of the Golden Knights’ untouchable prospects back in November, and it’s clear to see why.
Drafted 17th overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Krebs spent the 2019-20 season in the WHL, amassing 12 goals and 60 points in 38 games played after missing a chunk of time due to an Achilles injury. He played five games in the AHL this season with the Henderson Silver Knights, where he recorded one goal and four assists. He represented Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship, winning a silver medal and recording three goals and five assists in seven games played.
Bernard-Docker Makes NHL Debut With Senators
Senators prospect Jacob Bernard-Docker made his NHL debut last night in a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets. He played 15:33 and finished with an even rating, one hit and two blocked shots. He was signed out of the University of North Dakota (UND) earlier this month to continue Ottawa’s youth movement. Prospect Shane Pinto was also signed out of UND earlier this month. A lower-body injury to Nikita Zaitsev allowed Bernard-Docker to slot into the lineup on Wednesday night.
“Jacob represents another key component of our future. He’s very mature for his age and already possesses great gap and stick detail within his game. He’s an exemplary leader and a winner who we’re looking forward to seeing in our lineup,” Senators general manager Pierre Dorion said of Bernard-Docker (from ‘SNAPSHOTS: Senators sign UND defenceman Jacob Bernard-Docker and centre Shane Pinto’, Ottawa Sun, 1/4/21).
Drafted 26th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, he spent the 2019-20 season as a sophomore at UND, where we recorded seven goals and 18 assists in 32 games played. He also won a gold medal representing Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championship where he put up one goal in seven games played. Last season, he returned to UND as a junior and amassed three goals and 18 points in 27 games played. He was awarded the NCAA (NCHC) Best Defensive Defenseman.