Newfoundland & Labrador’s own Dawson Mercer, 21, of the New Jersey Devils extended his point streak this week to 11 games in a 3-2 shootout win against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington. The Bay Roberts, Newfoundland native, had a goal and an assist, giving him 19 points (11 goals & eight assists) during the impressive streak. The record for most consecutive games with at least one goal per game before the age of 22 was held by fellow Canadian Wayne Gretzky, who scored in nine consecutive games in the 1981-82 season. Impressive company.
If that wasn’t enough to celebrate, on Feb. 25th, Mercer made Devils hockey history, playing his 141st game with the team breaking Scott Gomez’s franchise record for most consecutive games to start a career.
After the game, Gomez himself handed Mercer the game puck.
Plus, Mercer, #91, also set a new personal career-high in assists, claiming his 26th on the Erik Haula goal in the game against the Caps on March 9th. He had 25 assists in his rookie season.
Alex Newhook of St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador – who proudly hoisted the Stanley Cup on home turf last summer following the Colorado Avalanche win–has also been getting attention. If you can catch sight of him on the ice, that is. Newhook sometimes appears as if he’s been shot out of a cannon. During one game last January, he was clocked speeding down the right wing at 23 mph before he shot one past the Washington goalkeeper to score the winning goal – his 11th of the season.
The two NLers have played together in the past. Mercer and Newhook suited up for Team Canada for the 2021 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship that were held in Edmonton, Alb., marking the first time two players from the country’s most eastern-most province played for Team Canada at the same time since John Slaney of St. John’s and Chad Penney of Labrador City back in 1992.
At the time he was selected for Team Canada, Mercer was a member of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and was considered one of the top junior-aged hockey players in the world. Newhook, who was chosen 16th overall by the Colorado Avalanche, was then in his sophomore year at Boston College, playing for the Boston College Eagles, where he received NCAA’s Tim Taylor Award as the top freshman in the United States.
New Jersey takes on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre in Montreal, and Colorado faces the Arizona Coyotes at the Ball Centre in Denver on March 11th.
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