Game on ... and on: 11-day ホッケー マラソン 始める，決める for Buffalo
BUFFALO, New York (AP) - For マイク Lesakowski and 39 of his ホッケー-playing friends, it's game on.
And on and on and on.
From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, the group of mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days - or 251 hours, to be exact.
Players line up 事前の to a ホッケー game Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015.
If it sounds a little farfetched, Lesakowski won't argue.
"Yeah," he said with a laugh, "that's a good way to put it."
Teams will be 分裂（する） into groups of about seven players (five スケートをする人s, a goalie and a spare), with each playing four-hour 転換s. They will get 10-minute breaks each hour while the ice is 存在 cleaned.
Aside from countless aching bones and worn-out skates, Lesakowski 事業／計画（する）s there will be more than 4,000 goals 得点する／非難する／２０d. And with 審判（をする）s and linesmen on 手渡す they will have 公式の／役人 scorekeepers logging stats, as 要求するd by Guinness.
Credit Nicholas Fattey with the first goal, 得点する／非難する／２０d on a backhander, 8:21 into the game.
"I'll give myself 80 goals," said Lesakowski, who played college ホッケー at nearby Fredonia 明言する／公表する College. "That's a lofty goal. But you know what, so is a million bucks."
They've already より勝るd that total. It was 発表するd during the 開会式s that the マラソン, dubbed "The 11 Day 力／強力にする Play ," had 生成するd $1.017 million in 誓約（する）s.
Raising money for Buffalo's Roswell Park 癌 学校／設ける is what makes this personal for the 45-year-old Lesakowski.
He first broached the idea in 2009 after his wife was 首尾よく 扱う／治療するd at Roswell for breast 癌. Unable to put the 計画（する） in place then, he re -献身的な his 成果／努力s some 15 months ago when his mother died of 癌.
He formed a 委員会 and the Buffalo Sabres' newly 建設するd two-rink HarborCenter コンビナート／複合体 agreed to host the event.
Lesakowski drew upon friends and fellow adult league players to fill about half the slots. The 残り／休憩（する） of the roster was filled through an 使用／適用 過程. So many 適用するd that players had to be turned away.
In selecting an older group of players, Lesakowski 手配中の，お尋ね者 to 組み立てる／集結する a team of not 単に ホッケー 熱中している人s, but those able to commit to the mental and physical challenges 同様に as 生成する at least $10,000 in 誓約（する）s each.
To form the 権利 groups he drew on those who 組織するd 類似の マラソンs.
"The biggest thing is make sure their passion's in the 権利 place," Lesakowski said. "Because on June 29 at 3 a.m., you've got to find something in your belly that might not 存在する if you're just in it to play a long ホッケー game."
Once the マラソン begins, the rosters are 始める，決める. Any player who 支援するs out or gets 負傷させるd can't be 取って代わるd, meaning more ice time for others. To 準備する, they've held four-hour practices and also held a 24-hour 開会／開廷／会期 to replicate what one day might 似ている.
The real unknown is how they'll 反応する to the grind once the 初期の 揺さぶる of adrenaline wears off.
"I think all of us know the first segment, the first couple of days. We 人物／姿／数字d a lot of things out with training," said Allan Davis, who at 61 checks in as the oldest player. "But after that, no, I really don't know. I said this morning, though, I couldn't be in better 形態／調整 for it, so let's go."
The 重要な is pacing themselves and understanding their 限界s, goalie Les Kuntar said.
For him, that means not 飛び込み for every puck.
"I was very 競争の激しい," said Kuntar, who played professionally, 含むing a six-game stint with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993-94. "But I think now, at 47 years old, I know what my 団体／死体 can and can't do."
Not getting 傷つける 特に 適用するs to the goalies. There are only two per team and each スケートをする人 is already scheduled to take a turn playing 逮捕する at least once.
One player has already had to be 取って代わるd at the last minute after David Hage broke his collarbone playing ホッケー on Monday.
It also won't be all play and no work for some, 含むing Lesakowski, a partner in an 環境の 協議するing 会社／堅い. Office space is 存在 供給するd for those who might need to を取り引きする work-関係のある 事柄s between on-ice 転換s.
Eager as Lesakowski is for the first puck to 減少（する）, he's curious as to what he might feel like once it's over.
"I've got a feeling the adrenaline will be going for a little while after the morning of July 3," he said. "I might not be able to sleep. Thank goodness July 4 is a holiday. I may forgo the 花火s this year."
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Players warm up 事前の for a ホッケー game Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
マイク Lesakowski watches a ホッケー game Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Eleven-year-old Emmett Jakubowski 減少（する）s the puck for a ホッケー game Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Goalie Les Kuntar sprawls for a save during a ホッケー game Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Fans 元気づける during a ホッケー game Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
マイク Lesakowski laces up a skate Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, a group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
Allan Davis is introduced before a ホッケー game 推定する／予想するd to （期間が）わたる 11 days, Thursday, June 22, 2017, in Buffalo, N.Y. From the 開始 faceoff Thursday night to the final whistle 始める，決める for the morning of July 3, the group of 40 mostly 40-something Buffalonians will be on the ice playing one continuous game spanning 11 days--or 251 hours, to be exact. Their goal is to raise $1 million for 癌 研究 and break the Guinness World 記録，記録的な／記録する 示す of 250 hours, 3 minutes, 20 seconds 始める，決める during an outdoor game in Alberta in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)
