Biography of Lindsay Hofford

Lindsay Hofford (Graduate University of Guelph)

Born April 11, 1964

Parents

Ian Hofford Deceased, Catherine Hofford Deceased

Siblings

Jill Hofford Born 1963 (School Teacher) Graduate University of Guelph and Queens University

Scott Hofford Born 1965 (Plant Manager, Chemist) Graduate University of Guelph

Wife

Vickie Hofford Born 1971(Graduate Seneca College) President Pro Hockey Development

Children

Callum Hofford Born 1994 (Salem State University)

Rachael Hofford Born 1996 (Western University)

Adam Panacci Born 1999 (Hill Academy Graduate, playing hockey in Bonnyville, Alberta before attending University)

Nicole Panacci Born 2000 (Attending Grade 12 King City High School before attending University of Guelph)

I was the second of three children born to Ian and Catherine Hofford. My dad was born in Canada; my mom in Scotland. My mom was a stay-at-home mom and my father worked as a shift boss in a Sudbury mine.

My dad was a quadriplegic because of a swimming accident when I was just two years old. I only have one or two distinct memories of my dad standing and walking before he became a quadriplegic.

I was told that when my dad was finally able to come home from the hospital, my mom and our extended family helped take care of his personal needs, including feeding, bathing and dressing him, as well as helping raise me, brother and sister. My mom had to work to support our family and was fortunate to have the love and care of her family as we grew older.

I lived in Sudbury with my family until the age of 9 when we moved to a farm house in a small southern Ontario town of Wellington, in Prince Edward County, where I spent most of my teenage years – until the age of 18.

I fondly recall our long days on the dairy farm; Most of my days began at 5:30 a.m. and were spent helping the family with chores. It is in Wellington where I developed a strong work ethic, learning to balance school, work and sports.

After graduating high school, I moved to Guelph, Ontario to attend University for the next four years. I graduated with a double major in Political Science and Sociology. I also played hockey on the University's hockey team, the Guelph Gryphons. I had played Hockey and various other sports at a high level as I got older.

Two days after graduation from the University of Guelph, I began working at a computer company for about 10 months before moving on to a much bigger company where I worker for over a year before moving from Guelph to Toronto.

In Toronto, I landed a job at an air purification company as a Marketing Representative. I also started coaching youth hockey on a volunteer basis.

I experienced immediate success and quickly moved up the coaching ranks, so I left my job with the air purification company and started my own business, Pro Hockey Development.

Twenty-six years later, Pro Hockey Development has become one of the biggest hockey-development companies in North America.

I moved out of coaching youth hockey and onto the Jr. Ranks. I began to coach professionally with the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). I was a coach for three years before moving to Lethbridge in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for another three years.

In (YEAR), I decided to leave coaching and focus on growing my business. I also became the Director of Scouting for the London Knights. Our team had unparalleled success the next six years and I was offered a position as a scout with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the NHL. After one year with the Leafs, I was promoted to Eastern Director of Scouting – a position I hold to this day. I also am the Director of Hockey for the prestigious Hill Academy Prep School in Vaughan, Ontario.

The school develops student athletes looking to combine a high-ranking education with a highly-regarded sports program. Many of the students move on to universities across Canada and the United States. I also work with the Vaughan Kings in the GTHL as a consultant helping youth hockey players and coaches achieve their dreams. I have a very demanding schedule that requires a lot of travel between Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Most of my free time is dedicated to my family and friends.

Throughout the years, I have helped over 125 kids get to the NHL and countless others in achieving University scholarships or to play Jr. A. Hockey in the CHL.

Moving forward, it is my hope that I only continue my mentorship and volunteerism work. In all, my career in coaching, mentoring never felt as rewarding as volunteering.

Just recently, my wife and I created a Go-Fund-Me Page for one of our former players, Roy Pejcinovski, 15, who died tragically along with his mom and sister. We reached out to the hockey and sports communities, as well as families across North America for assistance. So far, the fund has collected $89,887, surpassing our $85,000 goal.

Today, volunteering is one of my passions. I have always enjoyed helping others and it gives me great personal satisfaction. I attribute my desire to serve others from watching those terrific individuals and organizations of volunteers give of their time to help those less fortunate or those who have fallen on hard times. It is especially gratifying when I can provide that little bit extra. I see it as "paying it forward" because when I was growing up, there were selfless volunteers who came together to help our family and especially my dad.

I have a had a very blessed life to date. I am thankful for my health and the health of my family. I lost my parents within the last eight years. I took care of them both in the later years and when their health began to falter. They lived with me and my wife in both, London and Lethbridge. My dad needed special care because of his accident and I was there to make sure it was provided. I have been a responsible and productive member of society for my entire life. I have never been in trouble with the law at any time. I will have four of my children in University as of next year and cannot afford to lose my job as it will have a catastrophic effect on my life and the lives of my children. I sincerely hope to work out this unfortunate incident as quickly and as amicably as possible.