Cozy hoodies, an unlikely superstar, a pandemic silver lining, and a six-figure injection into local cancer research.
Carson Woodall can’t stop playing defence.
Number 24 on the ice, the Belle River native is a mobile, puck-moving D-man for the OHL West Division champion Windsor Spitfires. Increasingly, through his grassroots clothing initiative Woody’s Hoodies, Woodall is becoming just as well known for his efforts slowing the progress of an opponent more formidable than any Junior hockey skater: cancer.
In 2020, a bit stir-crazy amidst pandemic lockdowns, a 17-year-old Woodall collaborated with his father, Scott Woodall, to design and manufacture a limited run of hooded sweatshirts branded with a play on the family name. “Honestly, I’ve always liked fashion,” recalls Woodall, who had kept an eye on trends via social media, “and hoodies are my favourite item of clothing. I didn’t have any experience with a clothing line or in any type of business, but my dad had started a construction company.”
Using Scott’s connections, the pair arranged a meeting with a local print shop to learn more about the design and production processes. Woodall gifted the initial few batches of hoodies to his teammates—first with his U16 Toronto Marlboros AAA club and later with the LaSalle Vipers—to, in his words, “foster unity and camaraderie on and off the ice.”
Years later, after both his grandmothers had been diagnosed with cancer, Woodall saw an opportunity to do something more meaningful with the brand. (Woodall’s maternal grandmother, Deborah O’Brien, died from breast cancer in 2023, while his paternal grandmother, Carol Woodall, is currently living with ovarian cancer.)
Woody’s Hoodies was launched in earnest about two years ago with the goal of contributing 24 percent (see what he did there?) of proceeds directly to cancer research, support, and prevention in Windsor-Essex. “I didn’t think it would become a big thing,” Woodall admits, “but with the help of the Windsor Spitfires and social media, it grew fast.”
To date, the brand has raised $175,000 and sold nearly 5,000 hoodies. A significant share of that total has benefitted Play for a Cure, a “pro-am” tournament that brings together retired professionals, hockey-adjacent celebrities, and local junior and minor hockey teams. The annual event is the major fundraising vehicle of the Cancer Research Collaboration Fund, a charitable organization founded by the cancer survivor Jeff Casey, his wife, and the local philanthropists Harvey and Elaine Snaden. It currently supports a three-year triple-negative breast cancer fresh tissue clinical trial in Windsor. “We’re both involved in hockey and have the same initiative and end goal,” says Woodall of Casey. “The Play for a Cure event is incredible, both for cancer research and the day itself. It’s always a great, fun day full of good hockey.”
The hoodies, which are primarily sold through a full-featured website Woodall’s uncle helped build, are produced at Hogan’s Printing, a longstanding family-owned business on the outskirts of Walkerville. (“They have been amazing for this whole process,” enthuses Woodall.) While the brand began with a logo jointly designed by Woodall and his father, and the right sleeve of every hoodie features a ribbon conceived by Woodall that combines symbols representing breast and ovarian cancer, design inspiration has come from the team at Hogan’s, other Woodall family members and friends, and even fans.
Woodall himself has flexed his hockey connections to create limited-run collaborations with several minor hockey organizations and companies like manufactured-in-Windsor performance hydration and supplement supplier BioSteel. “Being able to network and collaborate with many other brands and hockey teams has helped us so much in raising money,” he shares.
The initiative has rippled through the broader Major Junior hockey community. “We have had a ton of support from London Knights players, including Sam Dickinson and Easton Cowan,” says Woodall, who notes Cowan wore a Woody’s Hoodie when he was awarded the OHL’s most valuable player award. “I’ve had a lot of players and referees coming up to me on the ice and telling me about their stories of how they were affected.”
The Spitfires, to their credit, have been incredibly supportive. The OHL organization allowed the Woodalls to use its logo and take advantage of its platform. “I could not be more appreciative of the ownership of the Windsor Spitfires for helping me on this journey,” says Woodall. “It’s amazing to see the masses of people supporting Woody’s Hoodies at the WFCU Centre—and to walk in any rink the OHL and see Woody’s Hoodies.”
Now at the tail end of his fourth OHL season, Woodall has committed to suiting up for Boston College in the fall. A strong-skating, proactive defender known for his outsized offensive contributions, Woodall was a highly regarded prospect in NCAA circles. He’s also eligible for this year’s NHL draft. According to Woodall, Woody’s Hoodies has been a regular topic of conversation in his chats with coaches and scouts. “I share my stories with them, and they share theirs with me,” says Woodall, who would like to see the NCAA support the initiative in the future. “I think it shows I like to give back to my community and use my platform to help others, which is something I try to get other people to do.”
While Woodall, the second-highest scoring defenceman in OHL regular season play, has legitimate professional aspirations, his experience with Woody’s Hoodies has been a window into a productive post-hockey career path—whenever that begins. “Woody’s Hoodies has helped me learn a tonne about the business world,” shares Woodall, who will study business in Boston. “It has taught me how to manage finances and connect with people to help make sales. I’ve learned a tonne about how social media works and how it can help grow a brand.”
The Drive is happy to report Nana Woodall is ready to cheer on her grandson’s collegiate efforts. “She’s doing great!” says Woodall. “She’s been out to a bunch of my games, which is a good sign. I went to her house the other day, and she was full of energy, which I love to see.”
Cool story, right? To learn more, build your own hoodie, explore existing collaborations, or propose your own, point your browser to woodyshoodies.ca.
