Mike Hoffman (b. 1989)

''This article is about the ice hockey player born in 1989. For the other player named Mike Hoffman, see Mike Hoffman (b. 1963)''.

Mike Hoffman (born: November 24, 1989, Kitchener, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the Ottawa Senators until a harassment scandal that involved his current girlfriend and fiancée Monika involving former teammate Erik Karlsson.

Playing career
Hoffman started his junior hockey career with the Kitchener Dutchmen of the Mid-Western Junior Hockey League in 2006–07. earning a rookie-of-the-year nomination. At the end of the 2006–07 season, the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) called him up for two games in the season, and four in the playoffs. At the start of the 2007–08 season, he failed to make the Rangers, who cut him and no OHL team picked him up. He transferred to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he would play until 2010.

In the QMJHL, Hoffman first joined the Gatineau Olympiques but was cut again, released after 19 games. In 2010, Olympiques general manager Charlie Henry said that Hoffman was "a good player for us, but he didn't work as hard as he works today." The then-last-place Drummondville Voltigeurs picked him up and he finished with 24 goals in 62 games for the season. He was not selected in the 2008 draft, the first NHL draft for which he was eligible but he attended the Philadelphia Flyers training camp on an amateur tryout basis and was released on September 29.

He returned to Drummondville. In the 2008–09 season, he achieved prominence by scoring 52 goals in 62 games with the Voltigeurs, who came from last in the 2007–08 season to win the 2008–09 QMJHL championship and a berth in the 2009 Memorial Cup. In game seven for the QMJHL championship, Hoffman scored a goal and an assist in Drummondville's 3–2 win over Shawinigan and had 21 goals in 19 games in the playoffs. He was selected by the Senators 130th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft at the age of 19. The Senators could have signed him after the draft as a free agent had he been unselected by any other team, and 14 other teams had shown interest in Hoffman. Hoffman attended the Senators development and training camps, and played in a pre-season game against the Montreal Canadiens, but was designated for assignment and he returned to junior.

Hoffman played the 2009–10 season, his "over-age" season, playing for the Saint John Sea Dogs, who traded a second-round draft choice to Drummondville. Hoffman recorded 85 points (46 goals, 39 assists) in 56 games. His goal scoring broke the all-time goal single-season scoring record for the Sea Dogs, surpassing Scott Howes' goal total. His point total also placed him third in the QMJHL in goals, tied for second in power-play goals (17) and seventh in overall scoring. Hoffman was also named a first team QMJHL all-star, won the league MVP trophy, the league sportsman of the year trophy and was a finalist for the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) player-of-the-year award.

In July 2010, Hoffman attended the Senators' development camp, and on July 22, 2010, Hoffman signed an entry-level contract with the Senators.

Hoffman returned to Binghamton for the 2011–12 season. He was called up to Ottawa in December 2011 and made his NHL debut on December 23, 2011, against the Carolina Hurricanes; he was held pointless in his debut.

Hoffman was the leading scorer for Binghamton during the 2012–13 season prior to suffering a broken collarbone just before the AHL All-Star Game. He played three games with Ottawa before re-injuring the collarbone and missing the last 12 regular season and first 10 playoff games.

Hoffman began the 2013–14 season in Binghamton. He was recalled to Ottawa on December 2, 2013, after recording 26 points in 21 games, the second-highest point total in the AHL at the time. He was returned to Binghamton, but returned to Ottawa in February 2014 and remained with the team for the final 23 games. In 2014–15, Hoffman played the whole season in Ottawa and his 27 goals led the team. He was selected to play in the NHL All-Star weekend and led all NHL rookies in goals.

Following the 2014–15 NHL season Hoffman became a restricted free agent under the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Ottawa Senators made him a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights and, on July 5, 2015, Hoffman filed for salary arbitration. According to media reports, Hoffman asked for $3.4 million, while the Senators countered with $1.7 million. Hoffman was awarded a one-year $2 million deal, which the Senators accepted. Hoffman became a restricted free agent at the end of the 2015–16 season. On July 27, 2016, he re-signed with the Senators to a four-year, $20.75M deal, thereby avoiding arbitration.

Fiance harassment controversy and trade
On May 4, 2018, former teammate Erik Karlsson's wife, Melinda, filed an order of protection against Hoffman's girlfriend and fiancée, Monika Caryk, allegeding that she had wrote thousands of harassing messages directed towards the Karlsson's, including one joking about the stillbirth of their son, to which Karlsson accused the person who wrote the comments of making fake accounts and purchasing hacked accounts. According to Melinda, Caryk had also previously made comments wishing Melinda and her unborn child dead.

It has not yet been proven the comments were written by Monika, however. The situation resulted in his trade.

On June 19, 2018, the Senators traded Hoffman, along with Cody Donaghey and a fifth-round pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Mikkel Boedker, Julius Bergman and a sixth-round pick in the 2020 Draft. About two hours later, he was traded to the Florida Panthers together with a seventh-round pick of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft for a second-round and third-round pick of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and a second-round pick of the 2019 Draft.

Awards & records

 * 2008–09 - QMJHL 1st team All-Star
 * 2009–10 - QMJHL 1st team All-Star
 * 2009–10 - Michel Brière Memorial Trophy
 * 2009–10 - Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy