Man of the Week: Noel Hoefenmayer
KHL.ru’s weekly column goes on with Noel Hoefenmayer. The HC Sochi defenseman has been in fine shape of late and is now on a three-game scoring streak playing for a non-contending squad in the Western Conference.
Noel Hoefenmayer has made a strong start to his KHL career with HC Sochi. In his first handful of games, he’s shown signs that his offense from the blue line can translate even in his new league. As of now, Hoefenmayer had played eleven games for Sochi, putting up four goals and three assists for seven points, which works out to about 0.64 points per game as a defenceman.
Given that Sochi is not among the top teams in the KHL as the team struggled recently, his production is especially notable: a non-contending side providing him enough opportunity for offense, and he is delivering. His early impact suggests he is settling in well.
Early years
Born January 6, 1999, in North York, Ontario, Canada, Noel Hoefenmayer developed through the typical Canadian junior path, playing for the Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He was then selected in the fourth round, 108th overall, in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Arizona Coyotes.
In the juniors, he showed increasing offensive ability, especially in his over-age final season (2019-2020), where he really broke out. In 58 games that season, he scored 26 goals and added 56 assists, totaling 82 points, with an impressive plus-52 rating. For that performance he won the Max Kaminsky Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding Defenceman, was selected OHL First All-Star Team, and also won the CHL Defenceman of the Year.
Climbing up
After junior, he transitioned to pro hockey in North America. He played in the ECHL and AHL. In the 2021-2022 season, for example, he split time between the AHL’s Toronto Marlies and the Newfoundland Growlers (ECHL), where in the ECHL portion he had very productive numbers: 46 games, 13 goals and 27 assists (40 points) in the regular season. In the AHL over multiple seasons, he had more modest but solid production: he had played 181 career AHL regular-season games among the Toronto Marlies, Bakersfield Condors, and Laval Rocket, registering 25 goals and 61 assists for 86 points. In the 2024-25 AHL season alone, split between Bakersfield and Laval, he played 43 regular-season games and put up 5 goals and 16 assists for 21 points.
On the international scene
Another interesting chapter was his participation in the Spengler Cup in the 2024-2025 season. In December 2024, the Laval Rocket announced that Hoefenmayer would be temporarily released to represent Team Canada at the Spengler Cup. During his time with Team Canada, he was part of a group of mostly European-based pros, and although Canada didn’t defend the title, they performed well in the group stage, outscoring opponents by a good margin before falling in the semi-final stage. In one of the group games — against German DEL side Straubing Tigers — Hoefenmayer scored a goal, helping Canada to a 6-3 win.
Now in the KHL, even though he is on a Sochi squad not expected to challenge for top honors just yet, he’s yielding above-average point production for a defenseman. If he keeps his scoring streak going, maintains good defense, he could become a breakout name in the league, especially if he keeps on maintaining this kind of production.
