As the NHL Trade Deadline speculation continues, one name that seems to be often overlooked is Mike Hoffman out of Florida. It wasn’t long ago that Hoffman was probably going to be dealt, the rumor being that the Panthers wanted to clear cap space in an effort to make room for Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky out of Columbus. With the recent moves the Blue Jackets have made to land Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel (ironically from Hoffman’s former team the Senators), it appears Columbus is making a run and talk on a trade that would send Panarin and Bobrovsky out have quieted.
Unfortunately for Hoffman, one former NHL’er is still trying to have some fun and Hoffman’s expense.
Folks….my sources in Florida are telling me the Panthers are actively shopping Mike Hoffman…lots of interest if trade package doesn’t include his fiancée. #Insiderrrr
— Mike Commodore (@commie22) February 23, 2019
Former NHL’er and Blue Jacket’s player, Mike Commodore tweeted on Saturday that his sources were saying the Panthers were trying to move Hoffman and that there was real interest if Hoffman’s fiance didn’t come with him.
For fans who know the story of Hoffman and his finance well, his trade out of Ottawa had a lot to do with the beef between she and former Senators’ defenseman Erik Karlsson’s wife. We wrote an article on the story back in August of 2018 and said:
While the team was examining their options, news broke that Karlsson’s wife Melinda Karlsson filed an order of protection against Mike Hoffman’s fiance, Monika Caryk. It was a stunning accusation that alleged Caryk had been cyberbullying Mrs. Karlsson for a while, including the hopes that someone might take Karlsson out with a devastating injury and accusations that Melinda was popping pills and wishing death upon Melinda’s unborn baby — a son named Axel, who was stillborn in March.
Eventually, the Karlsson’s were sent to San Jose but not before Hoffman was shipped out by the Sens to the Panthers.
Eight months later, Commodore figured the expiration date on the sensitivity of making a joke must have passed and used Twitter to poke some fun. Hoffman saw the tweet from Commodore and responded merely with “Good one.”
Good one ??
— Mike Hoffman (@MHoffy68) February 24, 2019
In a time that can be quite stressful for NHL players, it seems a couple of them either like to have some fun or show no mercy. Commodore surely knows the stress of trade deadline day and must have assumed it was time to lighten the mood a little. Some will debate about whether or not this joke was in good taste and the fact Hoffman responded in the way he did if he’s taken seriously what took place back in 2018, but it goes to show for some, the deadline isn’t all about trades. It can also be about poking fun at players who are probably closely watching the media, Twitter and other places to see if they’ll be moved or not.
Commodore figured, why not have a little fun while we’re at it. 5000 likes later, Twitter figured it was pretty funny joke.
