A tiny phrase from an eager little brother has turned into a whole lot of good for kids who dream of lacing up skates.
Eight-year-old Luke Grahame grew up surrounded by hockey. His dad, John Grahame, played goalie for the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. His grandfather was a goaltender too, suiting up for the Bruins, Los Angeles Kings and Quebec Nordiques. His uncle is a scout for the Colorado Avalanche, and John and his mother, Charlotte, became the first mother and son to both have their names engraved on the Stanley Cup after John won it with the Lightning in 2004.
So Luke spent years watching his two older brothers play, waiting for his turn. One day, fed up with being stuck on the sidelines, he blurted out a line that made his family pause and smile.
“I’m tired of just being a rink dude,” he said.
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That spark became Rink Dude, a family-run merch line that donates its proceeds to youth hockey nonprofits. At first, the idea was just for Luke. “We thought maybe we could print a hat that said ‘Rink Dude’ just for him,” his mother, Niki Grahame, told CBS News Colorado. “Then we thought, what if he sold a few and helped other kids who want to play hockey but can’t afford it?”
That question led to a movement. Rink Dude hats, shirts and gear, decorated with a cartoon version of Luke flexing his bicep, sometimes bring in thousands of dollars in a single week. Each item comes with donation cards supporting organizations like Hockey Unlimited, which helps cover the high costs of gear, rink time and league fees for underprivileged kids.
Luke even launched a special fundraiser for Veterans Day, focusing on military families by supporting United Heroes League, a nonprofit that keeps kids active through equipment, camps, grants and unique experiences.
“Our goal is $5,000 to raise for kids of veterans,” Luke said, adding “veterans are heroes.”
Watching her son channel his love of hockey into something meaningful, Niki says it feels exactly right: “He gets to feel the joy of helping others while doing something he loves.”
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