Caleb Hoffman had a wide range of emotions skating this past April in the annual Jeff Sauer International Deaf Hockey Series, a four-day event, April 11-14 in Amherst, N.Y., showcasing the top deaf/hard of hearing hockey players in the world.
Hosted by the American Hearing-Impaired Hockey Association and the Stan Mikita Hockey School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the men’s tournament featured the U.S., Canada, Czechia and Finland. The women’s series had the U.S. and Canada.
Hoffman, then 16 (now 17), who lives in Belvidere, was playing in the event for the first time as you must be 16 to play. The left-handed shooting defenseman scored the game-winning goal in the 6-3 semifinal victory for the U.S. over Finland – a goal that ranks as his career highlight.
The next day, the U.S. fell to Canada, 6-5, in the gold-medal game.
“My goal is, to play NHL, like (it is for) every other kid,” Hoffman said. “If I can’t be a player, I (want) to help other hockey players (as) an orthopedic surgeon, trainer or coach.”
Hockey is Hoffman’s love, his passion – not an obstacle, as he has moderate hearing loss that has remained the same since birth. He was born with sensory-neuron bilateral hearing loss that often is detected on the hospital new-born screen but was missed and Hoffman was diagnosed at 11 months and was aided when he was 1.
“I think (the hearing loss) has affected some of the opportunities (on the ice). Not every coach is willing or able to put in the extra effort to make sure I heard or understood their instruction. I do not fault them; I just need a little extra support,” Hoffman said. “I have to rely on my vision and can’t hear people skating behind me and can’t always hear coaches and players during play.”
Hoffman, skating this season for Team Illinois U18, played for the Madison Capitals last season. He graduated high school a year early and is taking online courses at Rock Valley College. His youth hockey career included stints with the Rockford Roadrunners and Milwaukee Jr. Admirals.
His 2020 Rockford team won the Illinois state championship.
“My style (of play) is very similar to Quinn Hughes in that I use my agility to get around players because I played offense for most of my life (so) I add an offensive component to my defensive game,” he said. “I’ve been given a great opportunity to play for Team Illinois, surrounded by a great staff and teammates. I feel this is a place where we can be successful.”
Hoffman’s goal is clear: win state “and develop as much as I can to move to the next level.”
He added, “I’m 100 percent all in this season, training with the team and personally to get the maximum amount of growth that I can, to be my personal best for the team and myself.
Hoffman does not skate with his hearing aids, mostly because they kept breaking from the moisture of his sweat and the ice, he said.
Communication is Hoffman’s biggest obstacle he’s had to overcome, including self-doubt, such as if he’s working hard enough or if he could play at a high level.
“(Hearing loss) can definitely be frustrating, but I don’t know any different and just keep trying my hardest because I love the game,” he said.
Hoffman, since 2015, has been a part of the renowned yearly AHIHA Stan Mikita Hockey School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, learning more about the game and life, building friendships and, well, scoring goals.
Hoffman said the renowned Mikita school, which dates back to the 1970s and was of course founded by the former Chicago Blackhawks Hall of Fame forward, “has helped me realize how other hearing players must feel when they play against me because it is hard for me to communicate with some of the deaf players that primarily sign, so it opens my eyes to the sacrifice and privilege that we have to play with deaf players.”
Hoffman was adamant that, yes, hockey is for everyone, that obstacles are just that. “Keep moving forward,” he said. “Just because something is hard does not mean you can’t do it. Continue doing the small things every day because they add up; never give up.”
SLAPSHOTS WITH … Caleb Hoffman
Favorite NHL Team: Chicago Blackhawks
Favorite NHL Player: Quinn Hughes
Favorite Sports-themed Movie: Miracle
Favorite TV Show: Outer Banks
Favorite Pre-game Meal: Steak and asparagus
Favorite app: Snapchat
Celebrity You’d Like To Meet: Ryan Reynolds
Giving Thanks: “My uncle has invested both in my spiritual walk and my hockey improvement over the past few years.”
More Thanks: “Oak Hewer was my first coach; he took a chance when I didn’t have skill because he saw that I had heart and was hard working. I met Coach Kevin Delany (at) the Stan Mikita camp; he has always encouraged me, believed in me and took time to get to know me and my family and has been instrumental in shaping my decisions as I move forward in hockey. Coach Ted Dent gave a lot of private lessons, even coming to my house during COVID when everything was shut down and he still encourages me today. I met Noah Powell as a player at the Stan Mikita camp. He is a couple years older than me and I looked up to him and his playmaking inspired me to work hard as a player.”
Loving Parents, Ryan & Rachel Hoffman: “They have always encouraged me to be the best version of myself.”
Off The Ice: “I like to spend time with my family and friends, play games and travel. I also like to golf.”