By Sarah Smellie
Posted May 20, 2026 11:23 pm
1 min read
Descrease article font size
Increase article font size
Hockey fans in Alex Newhook’s home province have gathered in bars and set aside politics as their hometown hero has helped secure the Montreal Canadiens a spot in the Eastern Conference final.
In the Newfoundland Embassy, a pub on the bottom floor of a bright red building in St. John’s, the band hurried to the television between songs on Monday night to watch Game 7 between the Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook (15) in action against Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday, May 8, 2026.
(AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Nobody minded about the band, said Embassy co-owner Niall Hickey. Everybody was there for Newhook-mania.
Story continues below advertisement
And Newhook certainly delivered — with an overtime goal 11:22 into overtime in the 3-2 win over the Sabres. It was his second series-clinching goal in Game 7 in the 2026 playoffs.
Get daily National news
Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.
“A lot of people in Newfoundland and Labrador are big Montreal fans, and to see their hometown boy, Alex Newhook, just absolutely killing it? It’s so exciting,” Hickey said in an interview.
More on Canada
More videos
Even a few Toronto Maple Leafs fans came in to cheer on Newhook, but they were reluctant to admit it, Hickey added.
3:23
The Moment: Habs fans inside the Bell Centre erupt as Newhook goal sends Canadiens past Sabres
Previous Video
Next Video
© 2026 The Canadian Press
