The Boston Fleet moved early to keep one of the brightest young pieces of its future in the fold. On July 15, 2026, the club re-signed forward Abby Newhook — the St. John’s native and sister of NHL forward Alex Newhook — to a two-year contract running through the 2027-28 season, locking up a restricted free agent who had just delivered one of the most productive rookie campaigns in the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Newhook’s first professional season made the decision straightforward. In 29 regular-season games, she recorded 14 points on seven goals and seven assists, but her value ran deeper than the scoresheet. She led the entire Fleet with a plus-17 rating — tops among all PWHL rookies — while averaging nearly 14 minutes of ice time and finishing sixth in team scoring. Her performance earned her a place on the PWHL All-Rookie Team, and she added an assist across four playoff games before Boston’s semifinal exit against the Ottawa Charge. As a restricted free agent, she had been one of the Fleet’s protected players through the league’s expansion distribution process, underscoring how central the club considered her.
Her path to the PWHL was distinctive. Newhook committed to an NCAA Division I program at age 14 — cited as the youngest girl from Newfoundland to do so — and went on to a four-year career at Boston College, where she played 142 games, scored 113 points and served as senior captain. Selected 34th overall in the fifth round of the 2025 PWHL Draft, she outperformed her draft position immediately, translating collegiate leadership into professional impact in a single season.
Those around her describe a player whose creativity sets her apart. “She can make plays that you don’t think anyone could make,” said teammate Ella Huber, a fellow 2025 draftee and roommate. Kris Sparre, who coached the Fleet during her rookie year, described her as “a step ahead of everybody” — the kind of anticipation that shows up in a league-leading plus-minus more than in raw goal totals.
The contract reflects the economics of a young league still finding its financial footing. Newhook’s rookie deal paid $40,000 for the 2025-26 season, and under league rules her salary rises modestly — to a reported minimum of around $41,200 — for 2026-27. The figures are far from the men’s game, but for the Fleet the point of the extension is continuity: securing a 23-year-old two-way forward through her age-25 season as the franchise builds toward sustained contention.
For Newfoundland, Newhook’s rise adds a second chapter to a growing family sports story. With her brother anchoring the philanthropic and hockey scene at home and Abby establishing herself as a rising star in the women’s professional game, the Newhooks have become one of the province’s most prominent athletic exports — proof that the island’s pipeline runs to the top levels of both the men’s and women’s game.
Sources: PWHL · The Boston Globe · The Hockey News · Daily Faceoff
