Avery Lukan felt heartbreak and disbelief when he heard about the April 6 Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

He played minor hockey while growing up in Humboldt and knew some of the guys on the team, he said.

“Obviously not a good feeling to know that happened at home and that I couldn’t be there. I knew right away I wanted to try to do something to help.”

Lukan studies industrial design at Humber College in Toronto, and was asked by a member of the Lumsden Monarchs senior men's hockey team to contribute something to a memorial fundraiser for Broncos assistant coach Mark Cross.

“I hopped on board and tried to come up with something for him and pushed some final exams and final projects I should have been doing behind, because this was a lot more important to me.”

Lukan designed a goalie mask inspired by the Broncos jersey and featuring the names of every team and staff member from the season. It also sports angel wings on the chin.

He sent the files to Saskatchewan and Custom Cages did the printing on a mask donated by Goal Tec.

It was a tight deadline but Lukan is happy with the final product, he said.

“It was pretty cool to see it come together.”

The mask was bought by a woman whose son is a goaltender, which Lukan, a goaltender himself, was happy to see.

“It meant a lot and I’m happy I could put something that I’ve been able to learn toward a good cause.”