How To Start An Adult Hockey League Apparel Shop

Starting an adult hockey league apparel shop has gotten substantially easier than commissioners expect. There is no upfront inventory order, no hat-embroiderer minimum, and no warehouse. The setup runs in about an hour and the shop is live the same evening. Per-team apparel, sponsor pieces, championship designs, and rink commissioner gear all live in one storefront. This guide walks the full setup from sign-up to first sale.

What You Need Before You Start

• The rink logo and each team's logo: vector SVG preferred; PNG works too
• List of teams in the league: team names, colors, captains
• List of sponsors (if any): sponsor logos and agreed-on placement
• Decision on plan: Free (3 live products), Self-Service VIP ($59/mo, 200 products, lowest base prices), or Done-For-You VIP ($109/mo, full white-glove setup)
• About an hour: time to set up the multi-team shop structure

Step-By-Step Adult Hockey League Shop Setup

1. Sign up free at shops.beargrips.com/for/adult-hockey-league
2. Upload the rink logo plus each team's logo or color treatment
3. Build per-team product categories: one category per team in the league
4. Add league-wide categories: Championship, Referee, Commissioner, All-Star
5. Pick starter products: off-ice tee, hoodie, embroidered hat, long sleeve
6. Set retail prices: default $12-$15 profit per item across all teams
7. Share team-category links with team captains; they distribute to their roster

Picking The Right Starter Catalog

For an adult hockey league, start with these 4-6 pieces per team:

• Premium Cotton Crew Tee (Next Level, $23.88 VIP base): standard off-ice tee
• Comfort Soft Hoodie (Bear Grips, $36.88 VIP base): cold-rink hoodie
• Classic Zip-Up Hoodie (Gildan, $41.88 VIP base): bench zip layer
• Long Sleeve Cotton Shirt (Bella+Canvas, $29.88 VIP base): warm-up layer
• Classic Rope Hat (Richardson, $29.86 VIP base): embroidered captain hat
• Cuffed Winter Hat (Yupoong, $25.86 VIP base): cold-rink beanie

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Pricing The Shop For Profit

Piece	VIP base	Suggested retail	Profit per item
Off-ice team tee	$23.88	$36	$12.12
Team hoodie	$36.88	$52	$15.12
Zip-up hoodie	$41.88	$58	$16.12
Embroidered captain hat	$29.86	$44	$14.14
Cold-rink beanie	$25.86	$38	$12.14
Long sleeve cotton	$29.88	$42	$12.12

Sharing The Shop With The League

1. Email team captains: send each captain their team-category link with a brief note on pricing and ordering
2. Captains distribute to rosters: each captain shares the link in their team's group chat
3. Post the shop link at the rink: small printed sign at the front desk or dressing-room hallway
4. Add the link to the league's schedule email: weekly game-night reminder includes the shop link
5. Announce championship apparel within 24 hours of the championship game

Every Signup Gets An Affiliate Link Too

Every Pro Shops signup gets a shop AND an affiliate link. The affiliate earns 10% of the referred commissioner's subscription forever plus $1/unit sold by every referred commissioner. For a commissioner who refers other rink commissioners in their region into the platform, affiliate income can be significant. See the affiliate program details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the commissioner need to handle order fulfillment or shipping?

No. Every order ships free from the US print partner directly to the player's home. The commissioner just runs the shop link.

Do I have to commit to any inventory?

No. Print-on-demand means each piece is printed only when someone orders it. The league never holds inventory.

How long until the first sale?

Most leagues see meaningful first-week sales (20-40 orders) when the shop link is shared via team captains at registration.

Can the commissioner earn revenue alongside the league?

Yes. The commissioner sets the margin on each piece; profit accrues to the league or commissioner account.