“YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE CRAZY TO PLAY HOCKEY BUT IT HELPS”
Willies, as it is affectionately known, is ran by business partners and teammates Luke Wilson and Jonathan Hill who both play Ice Hockey recreationally in Coventry.
“GREAT OPPORTUNITIES COME TO THOSE WHO MAKE THE MOST OF THE SMALL ONES.”
Established in 2018, Willies is a specialist Ice Hockey, Inline Hockey and Figure Skating retailer based in Coventry, UK. We stock the full range of equipment from all leading brands.
"PRACTISE WINNING EVERYDAY"
Our number one focus is customer service. We want every customer to feel appreciated and leaving us as happy with their new purchase as we are for their custom. As the business develops we aspire to make the shop a destination for all Ice Hockey, Inline Hockey and Figure Skaters across the country.
“A TEAM ABOVE ALL. ABOVE ALL A TEAM.”
Self-proclaimed ‘Gritty Power Forward’ for a Coventry Rec Hockey Team Luke is also a Coventry Blaze Season Ticket Holder and enjoys watching live hockey at all levels. As a late starter in hockey, he is passionate about helping others discover the great sport and is currently working towards his coaching badges.
Luke is responsible for the business development and takes overall responsibility for the running of the company.
In his rare downtime Luke enjoys spending time with his wife Tania and his children, Tommy and Mila.
Tania got bitten by the Ice Hockey bug around 10 years ago when she first went to watch the Coventry Blaze. She loves the speed, physicality and intensity of the game. She has managed to introduce many of her family to the game and has been privileged to experience first hand how great hockey as a community can be in times of adversity.
Tania works in the background maintaining key data on products, accounts, pricing and operations.
Tania is a hockey mum to a 5 year old who is part of the Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey Academy and a 3 year old who has just started her ice skating journey. She loves nothing better than watching them both on the ice.
Jonathan's love for hockey stems from watching Major Junior Hockey in London, Ontario. He thoroughly enjoys both playing and watching the great game, especially showing an interest in watching goalies such as Sergei Bobrovsky, John Gibson and Semyon Varlamov.
As a goalie he has always been obsessed with the gear aspect of the game, looking at ways to improve both his own play and that of our customers.
Jonathan is responsible for the day to day running of the business and is the in-house expert on all things hockey.
Outside of work & hockey you will often find Jonathan on the golf course or spending time with his partner Emma and young boy Brayden.
Connor started playing junior hockey in 2010 and after an extended break, watching Coventry Blaze got him excited to get back into the sport. Since 2018 Connor can be found playing on left wing for the Spitfires. Connor has a passion for hockey and knows that getting the right equipment aids his and others game.
When the opportunity to become Warehouse manager at Willies came about Connor jumped at the opportunity as the role perfectly suited his organisation skills whilst working for a company he had been a valued customer at since its inception.
Connor and his team are responsible for all online orders and keeping the in store team stocked up.
When not playing or working within hockey, Connor likes to spend his time at his car garage.
Cole is a keen Ice Hockey fan with interest in hockey on all levels. He enjoys watching the Coventry Blaze and also goes to many of the games at rec level in Coventry, However Cole is one of the only ones in the business to not play Ice Hockey and let's the other crack on when it comes to the Ice.
He has a keen interest in social media and always up to date with the latest trends and activities across all platforms and this sparked his interest in Digital Marketing.
Another of Cole's big interests is football and is a huge Leicester City fan and goes regularly to watch the games live, Cole also regularly plays golf and is out the course a lot of the time.
Beginning his Hockey journey as a goalie, Brodey spent 8 years as a goaltender playing in the Coventry Blaze Academy and at Solihull.
After an injury, Brodey decided to resume his Hockey journey as a forwards. First playing with the Coventry Centurions for a year until then progressing to NIHL 2 with the Nottingham Lions.
Brodey enjoys riding motorbikes and mountain bikes to keep himself active whilst off the ice.
Born and bred Yorkshireman, Jake learnt how to skate when he was a kid but only started playing hockey at the ripe age of 32.
Jake names himself a solid B team player who makes a better screen than a shooter.
He has worked in various retail management roles through out my career before combining it with my love of ice hockey. Not looked back ever since.
Lee became interested in ice hockey many years ago, and had the opportunity to become a skate technician and rose up the lines to get an “A” on his work jersey.
Solid D team player when he's not being a line 1 beast on XBOX NHL!
A highlight in Lee's working career would be being the senior skate technician for multiple international figure competitions an and also being a GB equipment manager for the U16W team for 3 years.
When not at work, Lee spends most of his time with his daughter, soon to be wife and golf.
Elans hockey journey begun back in 2005 when he was first introduced to the game. Even though he was hesitant at first, he quickly learned the basics and became interested in playing. Since then, he has found great success, most notably being champion in Latvian Hockey League.
After finishing high school, Elans had decided to put a hold on his hockey career and focus on building his personal portfolio. Since then he’s moved to the UK, received a Honorary Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Management area, been a part of exciting sporting events such as IIHF World Hockey Championship and UEFA Champions League Finals, but most significantly - he’s been a part of Willies team.
Edie started her skating career as a speed skater at 6 years old. She then moved to ice dance and free skating.
Edie represented Team GB in the Icicles Senior Synchronised Skating team competing in the world championships in 2024.
She is currently studying for her coaching exams and enjoys encouraging and supporting skaters of any level.
She loves sharing her love of the sport with customers in the shop.
Owen’s interest in hockey began during his time as a valued staff member at Planet Ice Coventry, where he fell in love with the sport’s intensity and physicality. Although he’s yet to lace up his own skates, watching the Blaze train in the early hours every Friday morning and helping prepare the ice on game days was more than enough to spark his passion for the game.
That growing enthusiasm is something Willies has allowed him to continue exploring, learning more about the sport and the equipment that brings it to life.
Away from the rink, Owen is a huge football fan and loves both playing and watching the game at every level.
Stan’s love for hockey stems back to his early years spent out in Mississauga, Canada where he started skating and cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Upon returning to the UK, he began supporting the Coventry Blaze and is currently playing rec league in Coventry and represents Birmingham A at university level.
Despite only playing since late 2021, Stan stays up late most nights learning about hockey. Whether that be watching the games or training, he is eager to learn more about the game and gear and is enthusiastic to pass on the information to anyone interested.
Outside of hockey, Stan is a keen enjoyer of most sports, namely football which he also plays twice a week and is a keen supporter of Aston Villa.
Paris is one of the skate techs on the team and an active figure skater who understands how much the right equipment can impact performance.
Currently studying veterinary medicine, she brings precision and care to everything she does, and is passionate about helping skaters find the right setup to support their progression and reach their full potential.
Elliot started skating at the age of three and has been involved in ice hockey from a young age. During his junior years, he’s represented the England national team, Midlands Conference and more recently, he’s played for the Nottingham Trent Varsity team for the past 4 seasons.
Alongside hockey, Elliot has completed both an Undergraduate and Masters Degree in Sports and Exercise Science. He regularly trains in the gym, continuing to apply and build on the knowledge gained through his studies.
Peyton started skating at the age of four and began playing roller hockey at seven. She has since gone on to represent Great Britain in roller hockey, captaining the Junior Women’s team in 2023 and competing with the Senior Women’s squad for the past three years. Peyton currently plays at the highest level of roller hockey in the UK with the Norton Cyclones and is one of only two women competing in the entire league—the only other being her sister.
Alongside roller hockey, Peyton began playing ball hockey in 2020 and currently represents the Oxford Blues for Women's, and Borehamwood Crusaders for Men's. Following the Covid lockdowns, she also took up ice hockey as a new challenge and has been playing ever since. She has been part of the Great Britain Women’s ice hockey programme for the past three seasons and plays in the WNIHL Elite league for the Solihull Vixens, having been part of the league-winning squad every season since joining in 2021. Peyton also represents the Nottingham Mavericks at university, where she has served as assistant captain for the past two seasons. During her time at Nottingham Trent University, she has also competed in the annual Varsity fixtures held at a sold-out Nottingham Motorpoint Arena, contributing to the team’s continued success.
Outside of playing, Peyton is also an active roller and ball hockey referee, officiating both locally and internationally whenever time allows.
Niall has been playing ice hockey for a few years, currently playing for the university. He is often reading up on the newest kit to come out as he enjoys seeing the newest renovations in the sport, while appreciating what has made past kit so iconic.
He currently is a university student studying music and music technology, and outside of music and ice hockey he enjoys nature and time with friends and family.
Caden started figure skating at the age of 20 and quickly became completely obsessed. He trains regularly and competes in both singles and synchro, as part of the Nottingham Synchronized Skating Academy's Advanced Adult team.
Caden has enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about the technical side of skates, blades and hockey equipment.
Having skated in many badly fitting skates, Caden appreciates the importance of taking the time to ensure each customer ends up in the perfect skate for them.
Outside of skating Caden has a lot of other hobbies including music, gaming, reading and crocheting.
Ben began playing hockey at the age of four and has been a dedicated player ever since. In 2014, he joined the Sheffield team, where he has continued to develop his skills.
One of the highlights of his career came during the 2018/19 season, when he played a key role in winning the U18 Division 1 title and becoming a national champion.
Currently, Ben plays as a defenceman for the Sheffield Scimitars in the NIHL1 league. Alongside his hockey career, he is pursuing his studies at Sheffield Hallam University.
George has been playing ice hockey since he was 10 years old and worked his way up through the Sheffield Ice Hockey Academy program. His connection to the sport started even earlier—he began going to hockey games at just two weeks old, watching the Sheffield Steelers every weekend.
Before stepping onto the ice, George played for the Sheffield Steelers ball hockey team, later transferring those skills onto the ice. He currently plays for the Sheffield Titans and still loves the sport just as much as when he first started watching and playing it.
Ellie started watching the Blaze when she was around 3 years old and was hockey hooked from the off.
As soon as she could begin to skate at 16 she joined the Coventry Phoenix women’s team where she quickly became a goalie.
Ellie is now a coach for the Coventry Blaze academy.
Callum began playing junior ice hockey at the age of 9, starting in the Coventry Blaze academy. He has supported the Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey Club since then.
As Callum progressed through the age groups of the Coventry Blaze academy, he watched senior games, watching how high level players operate and using this to aid his own improvement.
Outside of ice hockey and his work at Willies, Callum enjoys kickboxing and seeing his family and friends.
Jake started playing junior hockey at the age of 10 and started playing in the under 13s, in the in-house league.
He has been interested in ice hockey since of the age of 4 as I went to watch my first ever hockey game which was the Coventry blaze and Nottingham panthers and it was bench clearance, ever since that day I have been wanting to play ice hockey and have been watching the Coventry blaze ice hockey club.
As Jake have been working his way through the academy, he had always been watching the Coventry blaze and always tried to take different things front the senior games to Jake’s games in the academy and always looked up to Kevin Noble who used to be a defensive player.
As Jake has made it to his last season in the Coventry blaze academy he was awarded with being captain for his team in the under 18s.
Outside of ice hockey and working at Willies, Jake likes to spend time with all his family and friends.
James’ passion for hockey began after watching Matt Beleskey take to the ice for the Coventry Blaze, an experience that sparked a lasting interest in the sport. Since then, he has become a dedicated Coventry Blaze season ticket holder and now plays for the Coventry Coyotes, fully immersing himself in the local hockey scene both on and off the ice.
Away from hockey, James is also an avid follower of rugby, enjoying the competitive and physical nature of the sport while balancing his time between supporting his teams and continuing to grow his love for ice hockey.
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