Zack Hoffman’s arrival will belatedly hand Paul Dixon another option on the blueline, as the Guildford Flames battle to finish best of the rest (and thus claim a favourable playoff pathway) in the Elite League.
The Flames announced the transfer of Hoffman on Thursday [20 February], with the Canadian unavailable for selection this weekend.
However, Hoffman provides a much-needed boost to Guildford’s injury-hit squad – and he could make all the difference down the stretch.
Why did the Guildford Flames sign defenceman Zack Hoffman?
In a word – injuries.
“We haven’t had a lot of luck with injuries this season,” explained Flames head coach Dixon, “and while some forwards have returned, we still have a quarter of our defence out of the line-up, with others still playing banged-up.”
Playing without Kyle Locke and Sam Jones has taken its toll on Guildford, with the Flames ranked as the fourth-leakiest team in the Elite League, despite Eamon McAdam and Jake Kupsky turning out acceptable numbers between the pipes.
Who is Guildford Flames defenceman Zack Hoffman?
Hoffman is a product of USports, in which he spent three seasons (one of them lost to the pandemic) at Saint Mary’s University, recording four points (one goal, three assists) in 32 regular-season appearances.
Hoffman stepped into the professional ranks with the Fayetteville Marksmen in 2022, for whom he contributed five points (one goal, four assists) in 25 Southern Professional Hockey League outings.
Zack Hoffman, now of the Guildford Flames (Image: ECHL)
The 27-year-old defenceman spent the following three seasons in the ECHL, making 172 appearances and recording 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) for the Wichita Thunder, Rapid City Rush, and Bloomington Bison.
How will acquiring Zack Hoffman help the Guildford Flames?
Hoffman is a physical defenceman, with little-to-no desire to play expansively or offensively with the puck on his stick.
The Newcastle, Ontario-born blueliner has never been a creative outlet on the backend – and is best deployed in shutdown roles.
Dixon commented: “Zack is obviously a bigger body, and his strong points are around our own net where we hope he can win some battles and help us turn pucks over and try to get going forward.”
Hoffman will add a much-needed physical edge to Guildford’s blueline when he debuts later this month, with the 6-foot-3 defender just one season removed from a 76-penalty minute campaign in the ECHL.
Hoffman will protect the blue paint, lay heavy hits, and – when the situation requires it – fight.
With the Flames battling the Coventry Blaze and Glasgow Clan for fifth place (and a narrowly more straightforward route to playoff finals weekend), Hoffman’s arrival could make the difference for Dixon’s side.
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