About us

Where It All Began

Many years ago, two hockey dads—Pat and Chas—met at a Guelph Minor Hockey arena when their kids became teammates on an Atom team. Like many Canadian parents, both had been building backyard rinks for years, swapping tips and chasing that perfect sheet of ice.

Those rinkside conversations turned into an idea: what if there were an easier way to help people get the supplies they need to build their own backyard rink? That spark became RinkMaster.

In 2011, they launched a simple website, bought a few pallets of supplies, and started fulfilling orders from Pat’s basement and Chas’ garage. To their surprise and delight, people started placing orders that very first autumn. The goal was clear—get products out quickly and help families build rinks before the snow flew.

clearing outdoor ice rink

Each year, demand grew. More orders meant more gear, more helpers—and eventually, more kids lending a hand. Their own children and their hockey teammates joined the action each fall to help with packing, shipping, and (of course) lots of hockey talk.  


Team RinkMaster Today

Pat left for a new venture a few years ago, leading Chas to carry on with Dan and Cam. During the busy fall season, we're joined by many new and returning RinkMaster staff to keep up with demand—and we always start the day the same way: with hockey talk. Last night’s scores, highlight-reel goals, scraps, and suspensions—it’s all up for discussion and it kicks the day off with energy!

We love hockey. We love backyard rinks. And we love helping families create something special each winter. Whether it’s your first time building a rink or your fifteenth, we’re here to help.  And we are very grateful for the many families who have joined us on the journey, sharing their stories with us and contributing photos of their wonderful rink creations.

Thanks for being part of the RinkMaster story!