The organization, started by Luke and his mom, Niki, helps raise funds for people who might otherwise not get the opportunity to play hockey.
While at the rink watching his brothers play, Luke wanted nothing more than to be on the ice rather than sitting on the bench. One day, he told his mom, Niki, “I’m tired of just being a rink dude.”
The name stuck.
Luke started selling “Rink Dude” merchandise at the rink and sending the proceeds to Hockey Unlimited, an organization focused on creating opportunities for underprivileged and low-income youth to play hockey.
Last week alone, “Rink Dude” raised over $3,000 for the cause.
“We do think hockey is a family,” Niki told NHL.com. “People help each other. So, we were happy that Luke wanted to help out too, and now he’s not bored at the rink anymore.
“[Luke] has this new skip in his step at the rink,” she added.