Conner Lukan
January 14, 1997 - April 6, 2018
Hometown: Slave Lake, AB
#12
Position: Left Wing
Conner was born on January 14th, 1997 in Slave Lake, Alberta to proud parents Lorne and Robin. He was the perfect birthday present to Robin as her birthday was the following day. His big brother Kolby who was 2 ½ when Conner was born was so excited to have a little brother. When Conner turned 2 ½ his baby sister Kennedy was born and the family was then complete.
He grew up in Widewater and Slave Lake, before moving away to Spruce Grove at the age of 13 to pursue his passion. Conner played for the PAC Saints in Spruce Grove and the St. Albert Raiders, then was drafted to the Brandon Wheat Kings, but chose to play for the Spruce Grove Saints. He played for the Saints for 3 years, before being traded to the Humboldt Broncos for his final year of junior hockey in September 2017.
Conner loved hockey from a very young age. He could barely walk when he got his first pair of skates, and would skate for hours on the outdoor rink before he was 2 years old. As he grew up, that passion grew with him. In the words of his former Saints coach Jason McKee “on the ice he was one of the most ferocious competitors you’ll find and he was a tremendous teammate… his courage was through the roof.” Conner spent his winters completely dedicated to his team and his game. He worked hard, trained hard, made sacrifices, and played the game with heart and integrity.
When Conner came home for the summer, he quickly reverted back to his small town roots. While he did train every day, he always made time for golfing with family and friends, eating hotdogs around a fire, and playing on the lake whether it be fishing, tubing, seadooing, shredding on the wakeboard, or simply sitting down at the beach skipping rocks.
He loved Tim Hortons coffee, and he was never on time for anything except hockey. He was known by some as half time Lukan. Little did we know he was taking time to make the most of every moment, and those moments will be cherished by us forever.
He was tough when he needed to be, on the ice he could throw a hit that would break bones, but outside of the rink he was kind, loved deeply, and gave the best hugs. His big heart, coupled with his pug nose and infectious grin made him loved by all who knew him. Most importantly, Conner lived everyday to the fullest and made his family proud. Although his life was cut short his memory will live on forever.