Ana Ducks goalie to auction purple cancer awareness helmet after November
Lukas Dostal will wear a custom mask honoring family and friends throughout the month before donating the item to a local hospital.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
The National Hockey League observes November as Hockey Fights Cancer Month, a period designated to raise funds and awareness for the disease. The Anaheim Ducks entered the second month of their season with a 5-7-1 record and 11 points. They prepare to face the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
Goalie Lukas Dostal will wear a custom purple mask for every game during November. The mask displays the Ducks logo alongside personal photographs. Dostal stated he intends to auction the helmet at the end of the month. The proceeds will go to the Children’s Hospitals of Orange County.
"I’m going to be wearing this mask for basically every single game in November. Then we’re going to auction it and we’re going to put it to the [Children’s Hospitals of Orange County]," Dostal said. He added that the battle with cancer is very important to him and sometimes means more than the hockey.
One side of the helmet features a photo of Dostal’s grandmother. She died from pancreatic cancer when he was a teenager. The back of the helmet displays a pink ribbon with the names of Ducks organization members who have fought cancer. A quote below the ribbon reads, "nothing is impossible." Dostal described this phrase as his motto.
The left side of the mask includes a photo of Dostal with Sudarshan Maharaj, the Ducks director of goaltending. Maharaj is a survivor of pancreatic cancer. Dostal called Maharaj’s survival a massive achievement and expressed happiness that he is still with the team. Below that image is a photo of Dostal with Paddy O’Donnell, a former collegiate goalie who died of brain cancer at age 23. Dostal said he met an amazing human being and found it a pleasure to know him.
The right side of the helmet shows Dostal with his grandmother and a woman named Veronika. Veronika was making a movie for the Czech women’s national team while battling cervical cancer. Dostal met her this past summer and called her super inspirational. The Ducks finished October with 11 points and aim to improve their standing in November.
The team is one year removed from reaching the second round of the NHL playoffs. Dostal and his teammates maintain the same goals for the current season. The special mask serves as a personal tribute while supporting a local medical institution.
