From Selling Solar to Building a Hockey Apparel Brand | Will Knapp of The Room Hockey Apparel What happens when you stop building someone else's dream and finally take a shot at your own? On this episode of LocalBizCast, Dr. Pete sits down with Will Knapp, founder of The Room Hockey Apparel, a Canadian-born hockey enthusiast, coach, father, and entrepreneur who turned his passion for hockey into a growing custom apparel business. And here's the twist: Just a year ago, Will was selling solar. Before that, he worked in IT. Today, he's building his own retail brand! After gaining valuable experience in the industry while working with a family member, creative differences pushed Will to reconsider his future. Then his wife asked one simple question: "You love hockey so much. What can you do with hockey?" Will was already coaching, spending time at the rink with his son, and deeply involved in hockey culture. He knew the business, understood what customers wanted, and saw an opportunity to do something different. In the summer of 2026, The Room Hockey Apparel was born! Will didn't want to simply slap a team logo on a generic sweatshirt and call it merchandise. He wanted to create apparel people would actually LOVE wearing. What if your tournament hoodie became your favorite everyday hoodie? What if your team gear looked and felt like something from a premium clothing brand? That's the philosophy behind The Room Hockey Apparel: high-quality, fully customized products at reasonable prices. And while hockey inspired the company, Will's business has already expanded far beyond the rink. Taking the entrepreneurial leap: Leaving a career to bet on yourself From IT to solar to retail: Will's unexpected journey into business ownership Turning passion into profit: How hockey inspired his brand Building something different: Why traditional team merchandise needed an upgrade Custom creativity: From logo design to completely personalized products Quality and affordability: Creating premium merchandise without premium markups Growing beyond hockey: Serving teams, businesses, tournaments, and organizations The entrepreneurial mindset: Why Will can't stop thinking about his next big idea! Today, The Room Hockey Apparel offers custom team uniforms, tournament gear, premium hoodies, T-shirts, varsity jackets, bags, sports accessories, business apparel, and more. Whether you're outfitting an entire team, creating merchandise for your business, or looking for something completely unique, Will works closely with customers to bring their ideas to life. His website even offers two distinct shopping experiences: custom apparel and custom sports gear. His goal is simple: Create something people are proud to wear and use again and again. One of the best parts of Will's story is his excitement about what's next. His sleepless nights aren't because things are going wrong. They're because his mind won't stop creating! New designs. New products. New opportunities. He's constantly coming up with ideas and writing them down, determined to build something special. The Room Hockey Apparel is still in its early stages but Will is already proving that passion, creativity, and the courage to take a chance can lead to incredible opportunities. Will Knapp took his shot. Now he's building The Room Hockey Apparel one customer, one design, and one idea at a time. 🎧 Listen now to Will's inspiring entrepreneurial journey on LocalBizCast! Know a coach, team manager, tournament organizer, or business owner looking for amazing custom merchandise? Share this episode! Don't forget to LIKE, FOLLOW, and SUBSCRIBE to LocalBizCast on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms! #LocalBizCast #TheRoomHockeyApparel #WillKnapp #HockeyApparel #CustomApparel #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusiness #HockeyLife #BusinessPodcast