Newhook, Budgell have scouts buzzing
Pair of St. John’s teens have lit it up in Ontario AAA midget ranks
A pair of highly-touted St. John’s minor hockey prospects have generated plenty of chatter in southern Ontario with their play this season, including Quebec Major Junior Hockey League scouts who are busy preparing lists for that league’s midget draft in just over two months time.
Sixteen-year-old Alex Newhook is coming off a banner season for the midget AAA York Simcoe Express, which plays in the Eastern AAA league within the Ontario Minor Hockey Association.
Newhook won the league scoring title with 44 goals and 82 points in 40 games, and was named the league’s player of the year.
A couple of hours southwest of the Greater Toronto Arena, in London, Ont., 15-year-old Brett Budgell enjoyed a tremendous first year with the London Junior Knights AAA midget squad.
Budgell, who led the St. John’s Hitmen to the Atlantic AAA bantam crown last season, finished second in scoring in the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario association, with 25 goals and 58 points in 32 games.
He added five goals and 15 points in the playoffs, helping the Knights reach the OHL Cup provincial championship, where they advanced to the semifinals before bowing out.
While Newhook and Budgell have taken similar paths so far — going the Ontario minor hockey route — that could change next year.
Budgell, by all accounts, is heading towards Quebec major junior where some scouts have him tabbed a top 10 draft pick in the midget lottery running May 31-June 3 in Saint John, N.B.
Newhook has already committed to U.S. college hockey and Boston College, and next year is likely headed to the Tier II junior Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League, a breeding ground for future NCAA players.
If Newhook chose to go the Canadian Hockey League route, there are some scouts who maintain he could be a top two or three pick in the QMJHL Draft.
That could still be a possibility, especially if one of the league’s more affluent teams, like Halifax or Quebec City, opens the purse strings, although as of now Newhook — who is said to be a special talent — appears set on BC.
York Simcoe Express president Martin Harding said the organization recently held its awards ceremony, where former NHL great Dale Hawerchuk was the guest speaker.
Hawerchuk, who is coaching the Ontario Hockey League’s Barrie Colts, was raving about Newhook, Harding said.
“He was saying how much he liked the player, how skilled he is and how much of a competitor Alex is,” Harding said.
“Coming from someone like Dale Hawerchuk, that’s something.”
“He was saying how much he liked the player, how skilled he is and how much of a competitor Alex is. Coming from someone like Dale Hawerchuk, that’s something.”
York Simcoe Express president Martin Harding
In addition to a very high skill level, Newhook’s ‘hockey smarts’ are said to be off the charts, and his skating, one observer noted, is best described as “explosive”.
Despite a less than stellar playoffs, York played in the OHL Cup wild card game based on the team’s 27-6-1 regular season record.
However, their appearance was shortlived following a double overtime loss to the Mississauga Senators.
The Knights, however, appeared in six OHL Cup games, with Budgell picking up five assists.
Budgell, said coach Greg Benedetti, could be a top six forward on any midget AAA team in Ontario.
“He’s solid,” Benedetti said. “Everybody here compares him to Bo Horvat.”
Horvat, a third-year NHLER and London, Ont. product, currently has 20 goals and 47 points for the Vancouver Canucks.
“He’s a complete player,” the London coach said. “He can skate, has skill, wins faceoffs and he’s tough. He’s probably our most physical forward.”
The Knights reached the semifinal of the OHL Cup before losing 3-1 to the Mississauga Reps.