On Wednesday, Quartexx Hockey shared a reel in which Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens]forward Alex Newhook could be seen working on his faceoff skills alongside San Jose Sharks’ [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] Will Smith under the watchful eye of former Boston Bruins [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/boston-bruins]captain Patrice Bergeron. Bergeron, who retired at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, has a career faceoff win percentage of 57.9%. In the last three years of his career, he consistently exceeded the 6% mark and was recognized as one of the best faceoff men in the NHL. The former center, who will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2026, has a wealth of experience to share. Canadiens Are Improving, Even Virtually [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-are-improving-even-virtually] Canadiens: Expect Juraj Slafkovsky Breakthrough Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-expect-jurak-slafkovsky-breakthrough-season] Canadiens: Important Year Ahead For Patrik Laine [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-important-year-ahead-for-patrik-laine] What does Newhook's work on his faceoffs indicate? Could it mean that he’ll be playing at center this upcoming season? Sure, it could mean that, or it could also mean that this is one aspect of his game he wants to improve, or that the team has asked him to work on it, just like it did with Zachary Bolduc when he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues]. When Kent Hughes was introduced to the press as the Canadiens’ new GM, he made a point of saying that he firmly believes that players can continually improve. That reaching the NHL doesn’t mean that you’re done learning, just that you’ve reached a certain level, adding that he made a point of ensuring his clients with Quartexx would keep on polishing their game and improving. It appears that his former business is still operating, even though Hughes is no longer involved. Newhook and Smith working on their faceoff skills under Bergeron's watchful eye. When the Habs brass hired Martin St-Louis as their coach, a man who had played the game at the highest level during his 16-season career in the NHL but was a peewee coach at the time, it was clear that they were hiring a man who could teach, and that’s undoubtedly what he has done so far and continues to do. He spent a lot of time developing Cole Caufield into a more well-rounded player, not just a sniper. He helped Brendan Gallagher change his game, picking his battles and learning to pick his spots, and transformed Josh Anderson into a penalty kill specialist. That approach not only benefits the team in the now, but it also raises the value of a payer on the open market; it’s about seeing the big picture. Hughes also stated in the same press conference that he wasn’t one to buy high and sell low; helping his players reach new levels is just another way to ensure that he doesn’t have to sell at a low price. It’s a possibility that Newhook has been given a heads-up that he’d have to play at center, but it’s just as strong a possibility that Quartexx is helping their players improve by getting them some ice time with one of the best in the business. One way or another, this will benefit the Canadiens, as Newhook’s success rate in the faceoff department is far from satisfactory at 41.8%. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens. Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] on The Hockey News.
