For much of his tenure in German professional hockey, Vancouver’s Max Newton has had a target on his back because of the helmet on his head.
The 28-year-old plays centre for the Krefeld Pinguine of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga 2 (DEL2) where each team’s leading scorer wears a golden helmet during games. Think a Tour de France yellow jersey except with skates and bodychecking instead of bikes and Alps.
As the league’s scoring champion two years running, Newton has spent his share of time in gold. The upside is that the helmet helps fans recognize top players. The downside is that it’s basically a shiny beacon that screams to the opposition “hit me.”
“I definitely have mixed feelings on it,” said Newton, speaking from Germany. “It’s obviously a cool little thing … and my family loves seeing me in it. But I think there’s an aspect where maybe it makes you a target.”
To date, he’s mostly survived the Goldhelm, as it’s known, amassing 73 points in 50 regular-season games en route to being named top forward in the DEL2 and pacing the resurgent Pinguine to first place overall.
Krefeld’s majority owner and general manager says Newton’s skill and toughness have made him a fan favourite.
“He’s always positive, giving 100 per cent,” said Peer Schopp. “Max is not the biggest player but he’s never scared to take on bigger players. DEL2 is a league where you have to battle because there are a lot of young guys who want to prove themselves.”
Levelling up
As hockey careers go, Newton’s has been about proving himself — and levelling up.
He left home at 15 to play Junior B in Grand Forks, advancing to Junior A with the Trail Smoke Eaters and Cowichan Valley Capitals. The next step was NCAA Division I scholarships at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Merrimack College before going pro in the East Coast Hockey League.
Evidence of scoring savvy appeared even earlier. In 2002, four-year-old Max’s nose for the net was featured in a story on children’s soccer in East Vancouver that aired on CBC’s Soccer Day in Canada.
But talent only goes so far. Except for a sainted few, making it to the pros requires a grind that starts young. For Newton, that meant summers at home training to get stronger, faster and smarter, while trying to earn a few bucks to keep the dream alive.
“I did DoorDash for a summer – that was very unsuccessful for me,” he laughed. “Then I worked at Oakley and in retail for a bit, and at a juice and smoothie bar on Commercial Drive. The hardest part was finding jobs that were flexible in terms of hours to go do my workouts or skate.”
In 2023, he made the jump to Slovakia’s top league, only to have his season cut short when he broke his foot while blocking a shot.
(Krefeld Pinguine)
The Pinguine came calling the following season after the team’s analyst identified Newton as a target for one of six roster spots for foreign players. DEL2 salaries aren’t public but perks of signing in Germany include a car and two-bedroom apartment that Newton says help reduce expenses.
Easily the biggest attraction, however, is the city itself. Unlike most places in Germany, hockey — not soccer — is king in Krefeld, a city of around 230,000 in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, thanks in large part to the Pinguine’s 90-year history.
“It’s really like a religion here,” said Schopp. “Krefeld is ice hockey, there’s not any other sport so popular.”
“It’s one of the cooler game experiences,” says Newton.
“Every time I’ve had friends or family come visit, especially at our rink, they’re blown away by the fan support. It’s a soccer-style culture where there’s a whole section standing the entire game, chanting, they’ve got flags. They follow us all over Germany.”
That includes this weekend when the Piguine face Eisbären (Polar Bears) Regensburg in a best-of-seven playoff semifinal after sweeping their first-round opponents. Schopp estimates about 500 diehard Krefeld fans will make the seven-hour bus ride to Regensburg for the away games.
Should Krefeld win the semis and go on to take the final, the club will have an option to move up to Germany’s top league. Yet another chance for Newton to level up.
“I would love it,” he said. “I’ve re-signed here for two years and in my head I would love for the team to go up and for me to have an opportunity to play at a higher level.”