After more than 25 years of playing, coaching and refereeing, John Harmsen—hockey guy through and through—found himself amassing a sizeable pile of broken and otherwise useless hockey sticks.
“I had a big collection, some might call it a hoard,” he says. “So, I thought maybe one day I could create something with these hockey sticks that any hockey fan would be excited to have.”
And create, he did. John Harmsen takes pride in crafting high-end products from broken hockey sticks and ensures every item lands in customers’ hands with the same excitement he felt creating it.
Giving hockey sticks a second chance
Harmsen’s Hockey up-cycles broken, pro-grade and vintage hockey sticks into everyday items like bottle openers, grill scrapers, snow brushes and even toilet plungers.
“I started out making bottle openers and grill scrapers in my basement while managing a full-time career,” John recalls. “Then, I made a couple sales to friends at local markets—and that was basically it.”
Fast-forward to present day and Harmsen’s Hockey is selling their items full-time in the Hockey Hall of Fame’s official store. They’ve even partnered with several NHL teams, like the Los Angeles Kings, on developing new products.
“The Kings reached out and said they wanted plungers—so now I make plungers,” he says with a grin.
In a way, Harmsen’s Hockey’s story is a tale as old as hockey, where a minor leaguer from a small town shows talent, eventually gaining the attention of bigger pro-organizations.
Joining the .CA team roster
Harmsen first launched his company during the COVID pandemic, which he credits with giving him the time and space to learn the ins and outs of building his website, harmsenshockey.ca.
“Having a website is important for a small business like mine. I don’t really have a brick-and-mortar, so it’s really the only way that people can find me and the only way that I can grow,” says John.
Choosing a .CA was one of the most straightforward decisions for Harmsen’s Hockey.
“Honestly, I couldn’t see myself going with anything else. Being a Canadian in a Canadian company, it feels like ‘dot Canada to me,” he says. “I see my .CA being everything for my future success. It’s how everyone finds me; it is my store. Without having that, there’s no future, no success.”
John is excited to grow his online presence, bringing in more traffic, more eyes on his products and more sales.
Rooted in community ambition and pride
Having a .CA also reflects John’s pride in being a local business from small-town Ontario with tight connections to his local community—something he believes helps set his company apart.
“We’ll sponsor local teams, local events. So, to me, being a local Canadian business is everything. That’s kind of how you get your start. Small towns generally support each other,” he says. “That’s big for someone selling stuff made out of broken hockey sticks.”
Setting up for the next shot
As for the future of Harmsen’s Hockey, the goal is to keep on growing and reaching new customers; in hockey terms, taking more shots on net and getting pucks in deep.
“I’d love to see our products in more NHL team stores—the sky’s the limit,” says Harmsen. “I’m looking forward to expanding the website and increasing traffic. More eyes and more sales.”
Follow Harmsen’s Hockey on Instagram and catch his next creations as they drop!
