Joel Hofer

Joel Hofer was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 30, 2000, and was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round, 107th overall, in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-5, left-catching netminder made his NHL debut with the Blues during the 2021-22 season before returning for eight games the following year, posting a 4-2-1 record with a .905 save percentage in that stretch ^[1].

Before establishing himself at the NHL level, Hofer represented Canada at the 2020 World Junior Championship, where he finished the tournament 5-0-0 with a .939 save percentage and was named the top goaltender ^[2]. InGoal Magazine documented his performance from that run, including a breakdown of a poke check on a sharp-angle attack against Finland in the semi-final ^[2] and a play behind the net from that same game ^[3]. Those sessions also featured Hofer's offseason goalie coach, Eli Wilson, as part of an InGoal InPerson webinar in which the original breakdowns occurred ^[3].

Hofer entered the 2023-24 season having won the backup job in training camp with St. Louis, making it his first full year in the NHL ^[4]. He recorded his first NHL shutout on October 26 of that season, a 27-save, 3-0 win against the Calgary Flames ^[4]. InGoal Magazine has covered Joel Hofer in five Pro Reads.

His first NHL-era Pro Read with InGoal covered a Washington Capitals power play sequence in which Hofer broke down his approach to short-side positioning and the role of knowing a shooter's handedness ^[1]. "The biggest thing for that play was how I didn't come off the post too much, especially since I am a bigger guy," Hofer said. "The little movements, with me being a big guy, I don't have to move too much, especially with him being a righty" ^[1]. He also described his reliance on defensive-zone structure, noting that on flank shots the defenseman's assignment to the far side allowed him to focus on a smaller movement without exposing the short side ^[1].

A second Pro Read examined a low-high sequence against the Winnipeg Jets and Hofer's choice of push leg off the post ^[4]. "The biggest thing for this play was to push out with my left skate instead of my right skate because if I pushed out with my right skate I would have came out more to the middle and exposed the short side," he explained. "Use the leg you are anchoring with and your momentum off the post will bring you right into the lane" ^[4]. On managing vision behind the net, Hofer described his approach this way: "As soon as I don't see him, that's when I turn my head. That's something I work on in practice, that push to the other side without looking and to get the toe box in there. It's something you get with repetition and practicing a lot" ^[4].

A third Pro Read followed a stretch in December 2023 in which Hofer set a new career high with 39 saves in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars on December 27, resetting a mark he had established with 37 saves in a 4-1 win against the Florida Panthers six days earlier ^[5]. That session focused on a Detroit Red Wings power play sequence, with Hofer detailing how he identifies one-timer options as soon as an opponent sets up. "As soon as they go into their set, I'll always take a look and see where the one-timer options are, see where I have more time," he said. "Even on the draw you can tell. You recognize hands because obviously it changes the whole save selection if he's a righty or lefty" ^[5]. On the push itself, Hofer acknowledged room for improvement: "I kind of went to the post and in a perfect world I'd like to get more of an overlap. I'd definitely like to be more out in that situation especially with one timer because you are not going to have too much time to react and if you can get that extra inch or two it can make a big difference in terms of getting a piece of or having it hit your shoulder" ^[5].

Through 113 career NHL regular-season games, Hofer holds a record of 57-35-10 with a 2.66 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage, and 8 shutouts. In the current 2025-26 season, he has appeared in 44 games for St. Louis, going 22-13-5 with a 2.59 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage, and 6 shutouts.