Leaf profile: Nick Newman, a player that hits all the right notes
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Throughout the KIJHL season The Nelson Daily Sports Editor Bruce Fuhr will take a capsule look at the players on the Nelson Leafs hockey club.
Today we focus on California-native Nick Newman, who is not one of the traditional hockey players Leaf fans have seen go through the Green and White dressing room over the years.
If fans see Nick Newman strum his hockey stick like a guitar to celebrate his next goal, please don’t be alarmed.
Because it’s not the sound of the surf off the California coast this 6-foot, 180-pound American-born hockey player misses.
It’s the sound of his guitar or harmonica or piano or time spent doodling Newman chooses to occupy idle time when he’s not burning up the ice for the Nelson Leafs.
“I like all kinds of music . . . I guess especially classic rock,” Newman said during the recent off-weekend the Leaf enjoyed.
“I like to play my guitar or my harmonica and write my own music.”
Newman is not your traditional Canadian hockey player who eats, sleeps and breathes the sport — although Newman does possess a love for the pond game.
Instead he enjoyed a love for music at a young age that mirrored his time on the ice.
“I’ve always liked hockey and I guess my goal is to play (U.S.) college, hockey,” explained the native of Santa Clarita, California, the fourth largest city Los Angeles Country.
“But after hockey I’d probably like to do something like combining music with that of a conception artist.”
“My family works in film industry so I have all the connections,” added the 18-year-old Newman. “Something in visual affects, working for Pixar (animation studios).”
Newman has been one of the pleasant surprises for Leaf coach Frank Maida.
Arriving during training camp via the Vernon Vipers of the B.C. Hockey League, Newman has managed to help stabilize a scoring attack that lost its top scorer when Patrick Martens bolted for Junior A hockey.
“I was scouted by the Vernon Vipers, who really liked me and had been watching me over the past few years at various tournaments,” Newman explained.
“I was sent here to Nelson via (former Leaf coach) Chris Shaw who is now with Vernon.”
Newman, the oldest of two sons for Tina and David Newman of Saugus, California, started hockey when he was three years old after witnessing a Los Angeles Kings game on television.
He graduated through the minor hockey ranks to the Los Angeles Junior Kings U-18 team.
However, the transition to the Canadian game did not come as easy as fans may think.
“(The KIJHL) definitely is very different,” said Newman, tied for second in team scoring, two points behind leader Colton Schell.
“A lot of people disagree with me but I feel Canadian hockey is more aggressive and physical.”
“For me the way I play is a lot more on the skill side of the game, like European hockey where there’s a lot more flow to the game . . . it’s not very physical.”
The transition to Canadian hockey was slow for Newman, who feels it took him 15 games to get adjusted.
“I had no time or space to do anything,” said Newman, who’s mother Tina is a production executive for Disney and father, David, a freelance cinematographer. “But I’ve been able to adjust to it and I actually like it better . . . I think it’s more fun.”
The crazy schedule that saw Nelson Leaf players fall quicker than timber at a mountain logging show has seen Newman playing with a host of different wingers.
The influx of new line mates has not slowed Newman on the ice as the centerman has only been held off the score sheet in five of 26 games this season.
“I honestly believe our team is the best in the league even though we haven’t played like it of late,” said Newman, liking the fact there no true one line on the Leafs but four equally skilled sets.
“We kind of got on a high after we started beating everyone early in the season but injuries really set us back.
“But we’ve been winning a lot lately so I think we’ve turned it around.”
Newman & Company have just the opportunity to prove to all the league Nelson is the team to beat when the club faces a tough part of the schedule beginning Friday at the NDCC Arena against the Castlegar Rebels.
The game is the first of two in December against the second-place Rebels.
There is also a two-game set against Beaver Valley, the second overall team in the KIJHL and the always-tough Spokane Braves.
“(Head coach) Frank (Maida) is putting a lot of importance on these next games coming up,” said Newman, scoring 17 times this season.
“We were going to have the weekend off but since these big games are coming up he’s making us stay in shape by running and biking and working out.”
And when he’s not running or biking there’s always time to clear the head by strumming on his guitar, with pen or pencil in hand.
Nick Newman Fast Facts
Age: 18
Born: Santa Clarita, Calif
Hometown: Saugus, Calif.
Height: six feet
Weight: 180 pounds
Shoots: left
Favourite Pre-game meal: Eggs & Toast
Favourite Hockey Player: Dustin Brown, L.A. Kings
Favourite NHL Team: Los Angeles Kings
Favourite Music: Likes all music, classic rock
Hobbies other than hockey: Art & music, plays guitar, harmonica, piano, writes own music
Future Goal: Scholarship to U.S. College Hockey Team and continue pursuing music and art
sports@thenelsondaily.com
