Alex Newhook's parents watched him go from reluctant skater, to MVP, to NHL draft pick
Paula Newhook vividly remembers the first time her son, Alex Newhook, put hockey skates on the ice.
He was four years old and had been enrolled in a six-session skating class — the first four of those he spent watching from the boards, reluctant to step onto the cold surface.
"By the fifth lesson he went on and he skated down to the far net. When he came back up to me he looked, gave a wave, and that was it," she said.
"Once he got on and skated down to the far goal net, he was hooked."
Alex Newhook is now expected to be drafted by an NHL team later this week, after being named this season's MVP in the Canadian Junior Hockey League, with the Victoria Grizzlies.
Newhook finished this season with 38 goals and 64 assists for 102 points for the Grizzlies, the first time a player had topped 100 points in the British Columbia Hockey League in three years.
The NHL entry draft is happening in Vancouver this weekend, with hockey prospects keeping their fingers crossed.
Paula and Shawn Newhook will be there to support their son, who has been living and playing in Vancouver for a while now.
Alex Newhook grew up in St. John's, but his parents agreed to let him go to St. Andrew's College for much of high school and, later, supported his move to Victoria to keep his NCAA eligibility. Since his graduation, Newhook has committed to playing for Boston College next season.
"It's gonna be exciting. When you go up to a draft, you have to be patient. You're not sure the way it's gonna work out — I have no idea where he's gonna go. I can only go by what you hear and what you read," said Shawn Newhook.
"I've seen him anywhere from eighth to 20th, really."
27 interviews already
Being great at hockey seems to be a family affair. Abby Newhook, Alex's sister, has also been recruited by Boston College, where she'll start playing in 2021 — once she graduates from high school.
She'll be joining her parents in Vancouver to support her brother while the draft is underway, but dad Shawn Newhook said it's already been a busy session.
"He had 27 interviews with different teams, so he's pretty much talked to everybody," he said.
"Some teams have shown a little more interest than others. He's been back in to Vancouver and I think he's meeting with Colorado this week."
But even if Newhook is signed to an NHL franchise, his mother said she plans to keep him grounded, adding that, while he may be named in the draft, he won't see any contract money until he's actually called up to the big leagues.
"Realistically, he'll go on to Boston College then until they're ready to call him, and so then once they call him then it would be more of the signing deals then," she said.
"It's kind of a step by step, learn as you go."
Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador
