Vancouver pro finds gold and glory in hockey-mad town in Germany

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."

Highlights of Germany's DEL2 scoring champion Max Newton

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."

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