Montreal kept two familiar faces in the fold Tuesday, signing forward Alex Newhook to a four-year extension worth $22.2 million and bringing back defenseman Arber Xhekaj on a one-year, $1.5 million deal.
Newhook gets long-term commitment
Newhook’s new contract carries a $5.55 million average annual value and begins in 2026-27. The 25-year-old is set to play the final year of his current four-year agreement, which pays $2.9 million annually and was signed on July 11, 2023.
The forward posted 13 goals and 12 assists in 42 regular-season games last season, then added seven goals and three assists across 19 Stanley Cup Playoff outings.
Since Montreal acquired him from the Colorado Avalanche on June 27, 2023, Newhook has produced 43 goals and 42 assists in 179 games with the Canadiens.
Colorado selected Newhook 16th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft. Across his NHL career, he has 70 goals and 81 assists in 338 regular-season appearances, plus nine goals and 10 assists in 51 playoff games. He was part of the Avalanche club that won the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Xhekaj returns for one more season
Xhekaj, also 25, signed a one-year deal valued at $1.5 million. The physical blue-liner recorded one goal and three assists in 65 regular-season games last season while leading Montreal with 178 hits.
He added a goal and an assist in 13 playoff games.
Montreal originally signed Xhekaj as an undrafted free agent on Oct. 4, 2021. Since making his Canadiens debut in 2022-23, he has delivered 642 hits, the highest total on the club over that span. His regular-season record stands at 10 goals and 23 assists in 230 games.
After the horn
Newhook’s extension gives the Canadiens a longer runway with a forward who has already become a regular contributor in both the lineup and the playoff push. Xhekaj’s shorter contract keeps one of Montreal’s most physical defenders on the back end for another season.
SEO title: Canadiens sign Alex Newhook to four-year extension, re-sign Arber Xhekaj
SEO description: The Montreal Canadiens signed Alex Newhook to a four-year, $22.2 million extension and Arber Xhekaj to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
