By: Kelsea Durham | Follow me on Twitter/X @kelseadurham
Abby Newhook quietly put together one of the more underrated rookie seasons in the PWHL. After being selected in the fifth round of the 2025 PWHL Draft, Newhook entered the season without the same attention as some of the league’s top rookie names, but quickly proved her worth. Her high-caliber hockey IQ, physical play, and offensive instincts helped her carve out an important role in Boston’s lineup throughout the season. While some rookies needed time to adjust to the pace and physicality of the professional game, Newhook looked comfortable almost immediately and became a reliable contributor for the Fleet.
Newhook is from Newfoundland, Canada, but has made a name for herself in Boston after her time with Boston College and now the Fleet. Newhook played four seasons at Boston College, and in 130 games, she recorded 99 points (51 goals and 48 assists). During her collegiate career, she established herself as a consistent offensive presence and a dependable two-way forward. As a freshman, she was a unanimous Hockey East All-Rookie Team selection, a three-time Hockey East Pro Ambitions Rookie of the Month, and a six-time Hockey East Rookie of the Week selection. Her success at the NCAA level helped prepare her for the transition to professional hockey and showed flashes of the player she would later become in the PWHL.
She has also been developing her game on the international level with Team Canada. While not officially rostered on the senior national team, she has participated in development camps and remained on Canada’s radar. Those opportunities have allowed her to compete alongside and learn from some of the best players in the world. After her rookie season in the PWHL, Newhook has likely strengthened her case for a future call-up as she continues progressing both offensively and defensively.
Newhook made an early statement in her rookie season with the Fleet. In her first professional season, she appeared in 29 regular-season games and recorded 14 points (seven goals and seven assists). In the playoffs, she played in four games and added one assist. Early in the season, she found offensive momentum quickly, scoring three goals in a three-game span and showing the confidence that would continue throughout the year.
One of the most impressive parts of Newhook’s rookie campaign was her overall impact on winning. She finished the season with the highest plus/minus rating on the Fleet at plus-17, followed by Susanna Tapani at plus-11. League-wide, she ranked third in plus/minus, sitting just one point behind Taylor Heise and five behind Kendall Coyne Schofield. Her ability to contribute positively in all three zones made her an important player even in games where she did not appear on the scoresheet.
Newhook also recorded her first multi-point game on April 7 against Vancouver, where she collected three assists in a standout performance. She recorded at least one point in 12 games during the regular season, and the Fleet won all but one of those games, highlighting how impactful she was when producing offensively.
At the beginning of the season, Newhook was not one of the rookies many fans or analysts were watching closely. By the end of the year, however, she had firmly established herself as one of Boston’s most reliable young players and one of the steals of the 2025 draft class. If her rookie season is any indication of what is ahead, Newhook’s future in the PWHL looks incredibly promising.
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