Buffalo native and Calgary Flames defenseman Dennis Gilbert was at the very first 11 Day Power Play in 2017, along with much of the local hockey community, watching with the goals of raising money to beat cancer while setting a world record for longest continuous hockey game.

"The first year that they all played, the 40 guys played for 11 straight days," Gilbert said. "I came down here in two or three times and it was really cool just to see the whole community really, really got behind them, especially as it went on, because you can tell it was getting trying out there. So what we're doing is nowhere near what those guys went through with it, but that's probably my favorite and the first memory of it."

In the event's seventh year, Gilbert captained a team of 37 friends and family to play a three-hour shift and raise as much money as they could for the organization's benefactors: Roswell Park, Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program, Make-A-Wish Western New York, and Camp Good Days. But getting the gang together for a scrimmage wasn't the hard part for Gilbert.

"I used to use it as like a way to see everyone during the holidays. So we did a big day like 30 or 40 person scrimmage. We do that on Christmas Eve morning. It's the time when I'm home for, you know, two or three days max during the season," Gilbert said. "So it's great to see my uncles and my cousins, but I also see, you know, a lot of my friends from high school and from playing around guys that are playing around different areas, different leagues and stuff. So that's how it all started. And then with the snowstorm this year, we weren't able to do it and I was thinking, What can we do to get the same group together, but maybe in the summer?"

Once Gilbert committed himself, he absorbed plenty of responsibilities — from more than 2,000 miles away from LECOM Harborcenter.

"Yeah, it's more than I thought. I've had a couple of my friends, my cousin Anthony Pontello, my brother Patrick Gilbert, and Paul and Harlan Lovallo, we've kind of like formed an executive committee for that stuff," Gilbert said of his support system. "I mean, during the season, like you have a practice day, you're done at 1:00 for the day. So in some ways it's been nice to kind of fill some time and stuff during the season and, and that, but it can be a bit of a process but definitely worth it."

Gilbert took the ice Friday afternoon as the highest fundraiser on Team Gilbert, which was in the Top 5 of all teams fundraising with over $50,000 collected.

"Oh, I think it's just a testament to the city. You know, like whenever I leave the day I leave to go to camp wherever I'm playing that year, like I always miss being here. And I think it's just the whole city as good neighbors and all that stuff," Gilbert said. "It carries true and all the other events that they have scattered around the city throughout the year. So it's a very hard thing to describe to people that don't live here from your because you think all of the snow and the tough winters and all that, but just phenomenal people and and everyone wants to help each other.