"We had a pretty stacked team," Schneider admitted

A Buffalo native, Kane was invited to the league by former youth hockey teammate Vinny Scarsella, one of the league's original players and a forward for the Utah Grizzlies in the ECHL. As captain of Milli Vanilli (each team was named after a 1980s band this summer), Scarsella led a vaunted roster that included Kane, Girgensons, Conacher, Kane's 17-year-old cousin Cullen, and Cole Schneider, an Ottawa Senators prospect who was named FHL MVP in 2013.

"We had a pretty stacked team," Schneider admitted. "I think those guys intimidate some of the younger kids a little bit. I think I would be a little intimidated too, seeing guys like Kane out there. It's fun though. They get to tell their buddies they played with one of the best players in the NHL."

Coaching at nearby St. Francis High School, Fattey launched the league primarily as an outlet for his players, which at that time included Scarsella. The Father Charles Cup is named after Father Charles Jagodzinski, a longtime priest and administrator at St. Francis who is a campus minister at Wake Forest University.

Almost a decade since its inception, the league has expanded in scope and reputation. The entry fee for every player, including the NHL players, is $265. It's continued to be led by Fattey, a Sabres scout who is the director of hockey at Harborcenter. When the sprawling harbor-front development opens in October, it will house two ice sheets, including one with seating for 1,800 spectators. Harborcenter could be the FHL's new home next summer.