Todd Hoffman has been in hockey for most of his 56 years. But that descriptor doesn’t quite tell his entire story.

 

Yes, he was an accomplished junior player. He helped the Guelph Platers win the Dudley Hewitt Cup provincial championship. The Platers made the jump to the OHL the next season and a 19-year-old Hoffman scored 36 goals, second on the club to some hotshot named Kirk Muller.

 

Yes, Hoffman later made a successful transition to coach as evident by his Sutherland Cup championship with the Waterloo Siskins 16 weeks ago.

 

Yes, his 29-year-old son Mike is coming off a career-high 36-goal, 70-point season with the Florida Panthers. Yes, Todd keeps himself in excellent shape.

 

He’s also found time in his busy schedule to work for Manulife for the past 34 years as a cash management analyst. Friday will be his last day.

 

But his wife Debb won’t have to put up with him lying around their Baden home in his retirement. He’s accepted a new coaching role at the Victus Academy.

 

His new position had a lot to do with why Hoffman surprised some and resigned from the Siskins a few weeks after their championship season ended that evening in London.

 

Alec Tiley delivered the title-clinching goal in overtime for a 3-2 victory in Game 7 against the Nationals. Hoffman and the Siskins had won the franchise’s first championship in 25 years.

 

The dream season began eight months earlier. They opened the season by defeating the defending league champion Listowel Cyclones 5-4 on a night they handed they received their Cherrey Cup rings in a pregame ceremony.

 

Waterloo concluded the regular season in third place at 32-13-3. They upended the Cambridge RedHawks and rival Stratford Warriors in the first two rounds to advance to the Cherrey Cup final against Listowel.

 

They took care of the Cyclones in six games and then the Niagara Falls Canucks in the Sutherland Cup semifinals, also in six games.

 

London was favoured in the final, but the Siskins snatched a 2-0 series lead. The Nationals, however, came on strong to force Game 7. Waterloo didn’t have its offensive leader Sam Cherry for the deciding game. He was suspended for a checking-to-head match penalty in Game 6.

 

But Hoffman’s group persevered. He’s had plenty of time to reflect on the special season and answer a few questions before he begins a new chapter in his life.

 

It’s been a few months since you steered the Siskins to the Sutherland Cup. Now that you’ve had time to reflect, what are your thoughts about the group’s accomplishment?

It was a season to remember, and I reflected a lot over the summer on how great it was. We played Listowel on Friday night in their barn for Game 1 of our regular season. This was the team who took our dream away the year before in game 7. We used that as our motivation all year and continued to work towards our primary goals. This was a great accomplishment and very proud to have guided this ship to bring home the Sutherland Cup after 25 years.

 

Can you share a particular story that happened during the playoff run?

Something special happened, and we used it as part of our motivation. A stick with a note showed up on my porch in Baden from a member of the team that won the Sutherland Cup in 1984. I took this stick into the dressing room and onto our bench for each game. The stick belonged to Al Kimmel, who you know very well.

 

How difficult was it to step away after a championship?

It was a very difficult decision to step away as every coach looks to repeat the success they have the following season. But after 25 years of coaching and the last 12 at the junior level, it was time to pursue other avenues around the game. Going to Victus Academy, a private school which offers a great education component along with a top hockey skills program, I will assist young elite athletes working toward their goals in the sport.

 

What is your advice to your Siskins successor, Mike McIlveen?

With a new group of players, it does not always come easy. Do not get away from your game plan and work towards strong development for the entire group.

 

Tell us about your new adventure with Victus Academy.

Looking forward to my new adventure with Victus Academy and dealing with young elite athletes. The group of students not only want to achieve success within their game but also strive towards higher education. I look forward to providing them direction to obtain goals they personally set and making them better people within our community. It’s going to be a fun year as I transition into this new environment by staying involved in Canada’s game.