By Luke McGinnis
Hoffman’s connection with Scotland began before he could even lace up a pair of skates.
His father, Matt, spent part of his professional career with the Ayr Scottish Eagles, helping the club claim a historic Grand Slam during the 1997/98 season.
“I’ve heard a lot about the people and the fans. There was so much passion as they supported the team from day one. My dad also talked a lot about the deep history and culture of the country, and obviously winning the Grand Slam. He mentioned golfing a lot too.”
While Zack would eventually build his own career far from Scotland, his father’s experiences in Ayr remained a constant part of his childhood.
Born in Toronto in February 1998, while his father was playing in Ayr, his first experience on the ice came in Scotland, with his mother sitting him on a chair and pushing him around the rink following his father’s games.
“I was almost born in Glasgow, and my mum would tell me how she would walk to the games while pushing me in the stroller.
“I think it’s a pretty cool feeling returning to Scotland. It almost feels surreal, like putting a face to a name. I’ve only ever heard the stories, and now I get to see what they were talking about years later.”
Growing up in Newcastle, Ontario, Hoffman began playing hockey in nearby Oshawa before being selected by the Erie Otters in the OHL Draft at 16.
However, rather than following the conventional major junior route, Hoffman decided to try and forge his own path, pursuing an opportunity in the NCAA.
In 2018/19, he enjoyed the best season of his junior career with the Navan Grads in the Central Canada Hockey League, earning CCHL MVP and Defenceman of the Year honours.
“Going into my final year of juniors, I was confident in my game and I was lucky to have the opportunities I did that year.
“Having the goal of committing to university also helped motivate me.”
Despite the success, an NCAA opportunity never materialised, leading Hoffman to Saint Mary’s University in USports.
His time with the Huskies was anything but straightforward. His first season was cut short by mononucleosis, a contagious viral illness, before COVID-19 would go on to wipe out much of the following two seasons.
“It was difficult. Half the world had shut down or just wasn’t normal, so it was a challenging time.
“It was difficult to leave college when I did, but it also gave me an opportunity to just focus on hockey and starting my professional career.”
Following his time with the Huskies, Hoffman found himself without a path into professional hockey.
Rather than giving up, he began working his way through the lower levels, earning an opportunity in the SPHL before eventually securing an ECHL opportunity with Wichita through a walk-on tryout.
“I wasn’t done with school. I was still finishing my degree online while taking a chance and playing in the SPHL.
“I knew I wanted to get to the next level, so I trained and made sure that if I was given an opportunity to make an ECHL roster, I would take advantage of it.”
That willingness to earn every opportunity eventually led Hoffman across the Atlantic, signing with the Guildford Flames midway through the 2024/25 season.
His first appearance for the Flames produced a night he will never forget. Guildford picked up a victory over the Manchester Storm, with Hoffman recording an assist and dropping the gloves, but it was what happened afterwards that made the night particularly memorable.
“I was excited to make the jump overseas to the UK, but what made my debut special was that after the fight, and again after the game, the Guildford fans were chanting my last name. It came as a shock, but it’s a pretty cool moment I can look back on.”
Now, almost three decades after his father’s Scottish success, Hoffman is preparing to begin his own chapter in Scotland.
This time, however, it will be in Dundee.
“I can’t wait to get to Dundee. I’m excited about the fresh start, the culture, the people, and playing for a coach I know who values my game.”
While his journey to the Stars has taken him down a road few players would have expected, Hoffman credits the people closest to him for helping him navigate every twist and turn along the way.
“None of this happens without the people around me — my grandfather, my mom, my stepdad, and my father have all been there through every up and down of a pretty unconventional career.”
For Hoffman, arriving in Dundee is more than simply the next stop in his career.
It represents the continuation of a story that began in Scotland before he could even remember it.
