PURVEYORS OF ALL THINGS ICE HOCKEY

“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.”

Luke Wilson

Proprietor

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 Wilson

Operations Manager

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 mum to 2 young children, Tommy and Mila, and cannot wait to get them skating.

Jonathan Hill

Coventry General Manager & Head of Retail

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 Ashby

Warehouse & Teamwear Manager

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.

Janie Mullin

Blackburn General Manager

Janie got interested in ice hockey around 10 years ago when she went to watch Blackburn Hawks at a home game.

She loved how intense and physical the sport was and was keen to start her own path in ice hockey.

She went on to join a recreational team for a couple of years which she loved, before taking a long break due to relocation.

When Janie came back home she got straight back into the sport without hesitation and is now playing for a recreational team and the Blackburn Hawks women's team.

She has introduced lots of friends and family to the sport and been able to share the experience of how amazing the hockey community is.

Janie is a mum to her little girl Emily, and already has plans for Emily to learn ice hockey.

Cole Meachem

Digital Marketing Assistant

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. He enjoys recreational skating and is now looking to start playing hockey himself.

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 with his family to watch the games live.

Brodey Butlin

Coventry Sales Assistant

Brodey was introduced to ice hockey as a goalie, playing for the Coventry Blaze Academy from ages under 13’s up until under 18.

After a head injury Brodey took a recovery break from hockey for roughly a year before getting himself back involved with the sport, transitioning to playing as a winger.

He now plays for the Coventry Centurions for his first season as an out player. In his spare time

Brodey enjoys riding motorbikes and mountain bikes to keep himself active whilst off the ice.

Charlie Louise Ellis

Blackburn Sales Assistant

Charlie is a competitive figure skater, attending Adult National competitions and several local competitions every year. Since learning to skate from scratch in 2018, she now can’t keep away from the rink and is working towards achieving her single Axel and double jumps.

She has a keen interest in Social Media and runs her own figure skating Instagram account, offering other skaters tips and advice, as well as tracking her own progress. Charlie is also working towards becoming a Skate Excellence coach.

Off the ice, Charlie is a student, having completed her undergraduate degree in LL.B (Hons) Law, and is working towards completion of the postgraduate course LPC & LL.M.

Stan Murray

Coventry Sales Assistant

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.

Emily Sparrow

Coventry Sales Assistant

Emily started skating back in 2010 with lessons as a birthday present which have never ended even to this day. She has competed in competitions across England until covid struck which has thrown Emily to the dream to become a figure skating coach herself one day. Ice shows and exhibitions has been a love of mine since she started skating, watching the hot ice shows in Blackpool and performing in the various shows each year at Coventry.

Off the ice, Emily is a student in college working on her HND in Theatrical Make-Up which is a fun hobby of Emily's that teaches her new skills everyday. The best sort of down time in her opinion is with her dogs, Axl the husky and Shelby the Golden-Doodle both of which cover everyone they meet with fluff.

Ellie Cole

Coventry Sales Assistant

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.

Sam Walker

Coventry Sales Assistant

Sam started playing ice hockey at the University of Warwick. Having no interest in ice hockey at the time he had no intention of pursuing it past the taster sessions, however he found it to be so much fun that he joined the team.

Since then he has become hockey obsessed. He started playing recreational hockey alongside playing for the university, he is now a massive fan of the Coventry Blaze and loves watching the NHL.

Off the ice Sam enjoys playing the guitar, riding his motorbike and supporting the Mighty Boro.

Elans Paulins

Warehouse Operative