Brody Hoffman has decided to forego his senior year at the University of Vermont and has signed with the Minnesota Wild.
The native of Wilkie played three years for the Catamounts, posting a record of 34-33-9 with a 2.45 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.
For Hoffman, this was an opportunity that has come up before.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that came up last summer. I talked with my advisor and my parents and thought it was a possibility last year,鈥� he said from Burlington, Vt. 鈥淚 really buckled down this year at school, took some extra classes so I was in a position to leave now.鈥�
Despite leaving school a year early, Hoffman still has plans to finish his schooling.
鈥淚 still want to finish my degree at some point, so my advisor talked to the teams and gathered all the information I needed, then me and my family made the decision.鈥�
The Wild weren鈥檛 the only team interested in the 6鈥�4鈥欌��, 205-pound Hoffman.
鈥淭here were a couple of other teams which contributed to the decision,鈥� he admitted. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 know if I should disclose that information.鈥�
Looking over those teams鈥� goalie situations also contributed to the decision.
鈥淸The Wild] have some free agents coming up this offseason in terms of goalies,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to join an organization with a lot of goalies under contract.鈥�
Minnesota has Niklas Backstrom and Darcy Kuemper under contract for next year, with Devan Dubnyk slated to be a free agent.
Although given Dubnyk鈥檚 outstanding play since being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes, it鈥檚 hard to believe he won鈥檛 be re-signed.
Their AHL goalies, John Curry and Johan Gustafsson, are also free agents after this season.
The city itself was also a factor in his final choice.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of a mid-western city. I like the idea of playing in maybe a smaller market, definitely a hockey market in Minnesota,鈥� he quickly added. 鈥淏ut not like some of the Canadian cities in terms of the media.鈥�
Hoffman spent his first full midget AAA season with the Battlefords Stars in 2007-08, and says it prepared him for a life of hockey.
鈥淚 have a lot of friends from that team that I still keep in touch with,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was just fun going to school. That was my first year away from home so that was an adjustment, but it鈥檚 definitely something that I still reflect on.鈥�
Hoffman then spent the following year with the Notre Dame Hounds midget AAA team, before two years with the Nipawin Hawks and one with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
Normally Hoffman would return to Wilkie for the summer, but with an NHL contract in his pocket, he wants to be as prepared as can be for next season.
鈥淚 think I鈥檓 going to stay in Burlington, do some training here and in Boston,鈥� he said.
He鈥檚 looking forward to his next visit home, whenever that may be.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a lot of fun. There鈥檚 a few people I鈥檒l want to sit down with and have some adult beverages,鈥� he said with a laugh.
He might not be at the centre of attention, however.
鈥淚t鈥檒l be for my sister鈥檚 graduation, so the focus will be on her just as much as me.鈥�
Hoffman didn鈥檛 sign an amateur try-out contract with the Wild鈥檚 AHL team, the Iowa Wild, so his one-year contract doesn鈥檛 kick in until next season.
Like a true pro, Hoffman says he鈥檒l take whatever happens next year in stride.
鈥淚 just want to have a big summer,鈥� he said. 鈥淥bviously have a good (training) camp, and then wherever I鈥檓 assigned I just want to work hard and learn everything I can from the organization, do whatever they ask me to do. It鈥檒l obviously be an adjustment going to a pro schedule from a college schedule where there鈥檚 half as many games, but I鈥檓 going to put in the work this summer to get myself prepared.鈥�
Should Hoffman begin the 2015-16 season in Iowa, perhaps it鈥檚 a question of how many, not if, Wilkie residents will make the 2,000-kilometre trip to watch Hoffman begin his professional hockey career.
