When Michael Petter heard about the April 6 Humboldt Broncos bus crash, one thought went through his mind - it could have been him on that bus.

Petter is the news director for East Coast FM and Classic Rock 97.9 in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia and the play-by-play voice of the Pictou County-Weeks Jr A Crushers.

He had applied for the Broncos play-by-play job a few years ago, a post filled last year by Bolt FM announcer Tyler Bieber, who died in the crash.

“Doing Junior A hockey here in the Maritimes, I know that I’m travelling on some pretty rough roads at times and I could only imagine how Tyler's family was feeling as they were going through this tragedy and I wanted to do something.”

He wanted to show the support of Maritime hockey media for the media covering the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League and do something good for the sport of hockey, and he wanted it to be in Bieber’s name.

He brought the idea of a starting a broadcasting bursary to some other play by play announcers and newspaper sports writers, and everyone loved the idea, he said.

He then approached Nova Scotia Community College, and it now offers the Tyler Bieber Memorial Bursary.

“As somebody who has been doing play by play for 10 years now, I know how hard it was for me to get my start,” Petter said.

The bursary will go to a student based on financial need, with an interest in a career in sports broadcasting and a commitment to community service, particularly within the sports community.