National Hockey Team: Gregory Hoffman’s Own Path to Scorer

Sniper As In The Book – Hoffman’s Special Path To The Scorer

With five goals and assists, Grégory Hofmann is currently Switzerland’s top scorer at the World Championships in Riga. Should be breaking into the NHL next season.

May 7, 2021, the third final between EV train And Geneva Servet, the 49th clock is running: Hoffmann lights the turbo in his own area, insults the Geneva players to the extras and scores in the end 2: 1. The second title for Central Switzerland after 1998 is excellent.

The degree as a trademark

It’s a typical scene of a 28-year-old. He has a start as few players in the world. On the one hand, it has a lot of fast-twitch muscle fibers, and on the other hand, it works hard to keep it strong. Fast legs alone are not enough, however, timing is crucial. “It is important to explode at the right moment, not to move your legs too early or too late,” Hoffman said in an interview with Keystone News Agency – SDA.

In this respect, too, it has advanced tremendously. In the past, his game was less dependent on stopping and starting, he ran more in situations he was not allowed into. “In the last two years in Zug, Dan (Tangness, Coach) Lee talked a lot about the importance of staying in order. We often analyzed the game and when I was allowed to do something on the ice. There is a lot of work behind this in this area as well. ”

Hoffman’s other trademark is his excellent shot. However: “Until the age of 15 or 16, it wasn’t good at all.” To improve on that, shooting training with Morgan Samuelsson helped him a lot after his move from Ambri-Piotta to Davos in 2012. “The key is to read the match carefully and then shoot quickly so that the goalkeeper cannot respond. You don’t have to think too much,” he describes the recipe. Success.

Ambition as a driver

Later on, he also capitalized on the advice of Michelle Reisen, the first Swiss tour of the first draft in NHL. He is also “very happy” to hit some pucks after training. “If you don’t, it’s hard to shoot accurately, hard and quickly,” says Hoffman. “Scoring goals is very present in my head.” In general, he has tremendous ambition; Even in training, he gets frustrated when things don’t go his way. “I hate to lose. When I was younger I cried when I didn’t win. Over time, I learned to control my feelings and frustrations.”

Hoffman traveled in a special way. He started his career at La Chaux-de-Fonds. At the age of 13 he moved to Ambri-Piotta in Ticino, where his father lives. Next to Ice hockey He completed an apprenticeship as a construction worker there. At the age of nineteen, he went to Davos, in a third language region – his native language is French. He wanted to join HCD because of Arno Del Curto, because it gave the boys so much confidence. In 2015 he returned to Thysine Again, but to Lugano, where he got a more important role, he learned to deal with pressure. He’s been playing Zug since 2019.

“The fact that I have been able to learn about many cultures and people is now helping me in my career,” says Hoffman. The great RS athlete, whom he attended in 2017, has had a very positive impact. Since then he has been training in the summer Always in Magglingen. He also appreciates being there because after that he’s out of his comfort zone and everything revolves around training. “Over the years, I’ve also learned the importance of training in the off-season. It’s almost the most important thing for a successful season. If you’re ready, you’d better do well on ice.”

Soon he must show his skills with Columbus in the NHL – The Blue Jackets took over Hoffman rights from the Carolina Hurricanes this past February. “The chances are definitely good, but nothing has been decided yet,” the striker explains. It will be with after the World Cup Family And his wife discuss it. But he is well aware that it will definitely be his last chance to fulfill his dream of playing in the best league in the world.

Hoffman: “If I don’t take that step now, it’s over for me.” But first he wants to continue to shine in Riga and help achieve his goals to secure the Swiss’s first world title in ice hockey. (Before / sda)