Next up in our annual Washington Capitals prospect review and forecast series is Ryan Hofer, center for the Hershey Bears of the AHL. (You can access all our Capitals Prospect Reports and player analysis on our “Prospects” page in the top menu or right here.)
VITALS
Hofer, 22, is a 6’3″, 192-pound left-handed center from Headingley, Manitoba. The Capitals selected him in the sixth round (#181 overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and signed Hofer to a three-year entry level contract on March 1, 2023. Hofer’s contract carries an average annual value of $851,666.67 (NHL) and $82,500 in the AHL.
CAREER SUMMARY
Hofer registered a WHL career-high 58 points (25g, 33a) in 67 games with Everett in 2021-22, ranking sixth on the Silvertips in points and second in penalty minutes (84) during the regular season and ranked tied for first on the team in playoff scoring with 10 points (6g, 4a) in six games.
Hofer was passed over in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft before the Capitals finally selected him in the sixth round (#181 overall) of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. But that’s been a source of motivation for Hofer. He feels he has something to prove.
“There’s always that kind of thought in your head,” Hofer told NHL.com. “I’m really thankful Washington took the chance and drafted me, so I’m thankful for that. But I also still feel I have something to prove, too. I feel like I’m a really good player and kind of just go out every night and work my hardest and try to prove people wrong.”
“He’s relentless in his puck pursuit and he’s a physical player,” Capitals assistant general manager Ross Mahoney said. “And I would say that he’s got a good shot. He’s probably been working on his skill, even more this year, because he’s always had kind of a physical aspect to his game. And he plays hard; he’s a pretty intense guy. He seems like a physical player, but he’s probably working more on his skill level, on his hands and his shot.”
Mahoney felt Hofer, the latest in the Capitals WHL pipeline, benefited from a change in his role on the Kamloops team.
“He’s playing a lot of big minutes, a lot of responsibility and more of an offensive role. Last year was more of a two-way checking, hardworking guy, and I think it’s been really good for him as far as his development. We’re really pleased with how he’s doing.”
Hofer began the 2022-23 season with the Everett Silvertips before being traded with teammate Olen Zellweger to the Kamloops Blazers mid-season. The Blazers beefed up their roster before the Memorial Cup, which they hosted at the end of the season.
For the regular season, Hofer finished with 40 goals and 28 assists in 66 games. He shot the puck 278 times for a 14.38% shooting percentage. Hofer added eight goals and seven assists in 14 postseason games.
Hofer spent the 2023-24 season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears, playing 40 games. He scored 4 goals and recorded 4 assists. It was hard for him to break into the lineup and get sufficient ice time, given the Bears were loaded with offensive talent. He did not play in any of the playoff games during the Bears’ run to their second consecutive Calder Cup.
2023-2024 MONTH-BY-MONTH RECAP AND TREND ANALYSIS
The following is a compilation of our month-by-month prospect reports for Ryan Hofer during the 2023-2024 season. You can find all our monthly prospect reports on our “Prospects” page in the top menu.
OCTOBER
The rookie center has not been able to crack the lineup consistently. Hofer suited up for three of Hershey’s eight games and played wing during his debut appearance. He picked up his lone point of the season on October 28 in a home game versus Lehigh Valley. Hofer earned the secondary assist on Pierrick Dube’s third-period tally. The Headingly, Manitoba native needs to find a rhythm as a professional, but needs more playing time to find that rhythm.
NOVEMBER
The rookie struggled to find his footing thus far. He found it difficult to get consistent playing time and was a healthy scratch five times in November. Hofer scored his first career professional goal late in the first period versus Bridgeport on November 17. After Riley Sutter forced Ruslan Iskhakov into a bad pass, Hofer intercepted the puck and lifted a wrist shot over Jakub Skarek’s blocker. The marker was his only point of the month. Hofer has two points in 11 games played this season.
DECEMBER
Hofer skated in seven of Hershey’s 14 games in December but still found it difficult to stay in the lineup. The rookie potted the lone goal in the Bears’ 4-1 loss in Syracuse on December 8. It was the second goal of the season for Hofer.
Ryan Hofer with a nice deke for his second goal of the season. Bears trail 2-1 after 20. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/YVkcAaEuwv
— Capitals Prospects (@jon_m_sorensen) December 9, 2023
Hershey has a deep forward corps and the Headingly, Manitoba native will continue to struggle to get playing time. It is a difficult situation for a rookie. He needs consistent playing time to establish himself as a professional. A short assignment to South Carolina might be beneficial.
JANUARY
The rookie center suited up for five games in January and was held without a point. He continued to find it difficult to get consistent playing time. The Bears have a deep forward corps and even with two injuries up front, Hofer could not stay in the lineup.
FEBRUARY
After playing just one of Hershey’s first five games of the month, Hofer skated in the final four games of February for the Chocolate and White after injuries and call-ups depleted the team’s depth. The rookie slotted into the lineup as the fourth-line center.
First pro goal for Ryan Hofer sends us into the intermission up by two! https://t.co/SVvl4NclDl pic.twitter.com/iFjtdUaHJd
— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) November 18, 2023
Hofer recorded his lone goal/point of the month and third goal of the season versus Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on February 23. He snapped a shot from the left faceoff dot past the glove of Joel Blomqvist to tie the game at one in the first period. The pivot has played a smart game and has been reliable in his own zone.
MARCH
The rookie forward played in eight games in the month. Hofer went scoreless in his first three appearances in March, but the Winnipeg, Manitoba native potted his fourth goal of the season on March 17 against Hartford. He one-timed a feed from Matt Strome through the five-hole of Dylan Garand for the fourth Hershey goal in the third period.
Fourth of the season for Hof!
🍎Strome
🍏Sutter https://t.co/Q7sZp0J5F3 pic.twitter.com/4W9kvSPcA1— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) March 17, 2024
The only other point for Hofer came in Cleveland on March 23. He picked up the lone assist on Strome’s late second-period tally that proved to be the game-winner. The pivot showed more of an edge to his game late in the month, but that unfortunately also led to more penalty minutes. He amassed nine penalty minutes in his last four games of March after taking only one minor the rest of the season. Playing with an edge is a plus for Hofer, but he needs to do it without taking penalties.
APRIL
Hofer played in five games during April. He recorded an assist on a Henrik Rybinski goal during the third period of a 7-2 win against the Iowa Wild on April 5. He did not play again until April 13 but recorded an assist on a Hardy Haman Aktell goal at 7:05 during the second period during a 4-1 loss to the Wilkes-Barre Penguins.
POSTSEASON
Hofer did not play in any games during the Bears postseason despite the fact the team had lost numerous players to injury.
PLAYER FORECAST
The hope for Hofer for 2024-25 is that he can play more games with the Bears than he did in 2023-24. With so many great offensive players, it was often difficult to get in the lineup. He will face similar difficulties this coming season, although one of Hershey’s best players, Joe Snively, signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Center Hendrix Lapierre will likely play with Washington. Some other Bears players could also be called up to the Capitals, leaving more room for Hofer.
By Diane Doyle