A summer of firsts for Hoffman

After a lengthy run in the 2017 NHL Playoffs, Mike Hoffman finds time in the off-season to try his hand at a few other sports.

The Sens winger was recently invited to the Honda Indy Toronto race this past weekend and traded in his skates for a ride in the "Fastest Seat in Sports" in Honda's two-seater Indycar with Arie Luyendyk Jr.
"It was my first time taking part in something like this but I've always been interested in racecars so to be able to take part in this is a once in a lifetime experience," Hoffman said after a few laps. "I wasn't even sure if we could slow down quick enough to take some of these turns or if we're going to spin out going around the corners at some pretty high speeds. It's a pretty special machine with how fast they can take off, slow down and hug the corners. It was really impressive."

No stranger to high speeds on the ice, Hoffman came away with an appreciation for the level of skill and focus that Indycar drivers need to have after experiencing the ride for himself.
"They're the best in the world at what they do and being able to take part in something like this is pretty cool."
Tearing up the track in Toronto wasn't the 27 year-old's only new conquest recently as Hoffman recently hit the ice with a group of Kitchener sledge hockey players.
"Watching them and how they play and move around on the sledges is pretty amazing," Hoffman told CTV Kitchener's Marc Venema last week. "Every one of them had a smile on their face. There are no real words that can describe the feeling of going into the dressing room and meeting all of them."
"You realize how lucky we are."

Hoffman's career as an NHL hockey player remains safe though as he's coming off his third consecutive season with 25+ goals for the Sens, has twice lead the team in goal scoring over that span and has seen his point totals rise every year.
But who knows...maybe we could see the return of the two-sport athletes?