Dennis Gudbranson spent too many days in a hospital room as a child.
There were the usual routines of blood work, medication and treatments, visits by doctors and nurses. His siblings would often come by to help pass the time.
Occasionally, there were surprise moments to break up the monotony, such as when an NHL player would drop by.
It was the call from Finland, however, that caught Dennis and the entire Gudbranson clan off-guard.
Saku Koivu, then-captain of the Montreal Canadiens and a cancer survivor himself, got in touch from across the Atlantic for a lengthy conversation with Dennis.
The 20 minutes they spoke seemed like hours.
"He kept chatting away and talking with Dennis," Donna Gudbranson, Dennis' mother said. "It was such an inspiration for him."
Donna will never forget the impact that conversation had on her son. It still triggers emotions to this day.
“From the parents’ standpoint, I don't know if [players] understand the power of what they do," she said. "I don't know if they understand the power of that visit. It inspires the kids and keeps them going. Because they have to go through so many painful experiences."
Those experiences also shaped the eldest Gudbranson sibling, Erik, as he began his quest to make the NHL.
Erik Gudbranson does not back down from a fight.
In three NHL seasons, the 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenseman has developed a reputation for sticking up for his Florida Panthers teammates.
But having witnessed his youngest brother's experience, Gudbranson never forgets there is a more important struggle worth waging off-ice.
Away from the rink, he is always willing to take up arms. The 21-year-old dedicates as much time as he can to charitable endeavors in the fight against the disease.
Most recently, he and teammates took part in the Florida Panthers Foundation annual gala held on the ice at the BB&T Center. The black-tie affair featured Vegas-style gambling and a charity auction. The event raised over $25,000 for pediatric cancer causes in South Florida.
Just starting his third pro season, Gudbranson received the tap on the shoulder from the team's brass to speak for the franchise, sharing his personal story and thanking those in attendance for their efforts and contributions.
"The other night at our charity event he got up and spoke," Panthers coach Kevin Dineen said. "He was very heartfelt, relating things about his family, as well as a strong spokesman for the team."
Erik will never forget the date: April 22, 2004.
Then 12, he learned his youngest brother had been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
"I remember it," Erik said before pausing.
The memory sits with him. There is no desire to delve further into one of the worst moments in his life.
"It's hard to hear and it really puts things in perspective pretty quickly."
A disease typically uncommon in people under 45, acute myeloid leukemia starts through abnormal growth of blood cells in bone marrow. The disease can progress rapidly and spread throughout a person's circulatory system. Once detected, patients often undergo chemotherapy, a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. Without treatment, the disease is fatal.
Dennis would have to endure a six-month regiment of chemotherapy in order to save his life.
"It's definitely something you don't want to have happen to your family," Erik said.
"He was at the delicate age." said Donna Gudbranson said of her first-born. "He understood full well what was going on. And what the possible outcome was."
By Donna's estimate, Dennis spent more than 20 weeks at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), receiving treatment which also included more than 75 blood and platelet transfusions.
"It was challenging for [the kids] to have to go through that," she said. "They immersed themselves in hockey. Erik in particular."
The question always sticks in the Gudbransons' mind: What can we do to help?
During the time Dennis underwent treatment, and in times following, the family has dedicated considerable time to charities involving pediatric cancer.
Erik has taken on so many roles that he almost loses track as he lists them.
More recently the Orleans, Ontario, native has worked with the first Canadian cord blood bank in Ottawa. Rich in stem cells, cord blood is used to treat leukemia, lymphoma and aplastic anemia.
Prior to September 2013, Canada was the only G8 country and one of only two G20 countries that did not have such a facility.
"This clinic is incredible. It's absolutely mind blowing," Erik said. "It's a huge milestone in Ottawa."
He has offered his services as a public face for the cause as they work to generate $12.5 million in donations. Once the goal is achieved, the Ontario provincial government will kick in another $48 million to support the clinic for eight years.
Whenever the CHEO Foundation in Ottawa requests memorabilia or a signature for a charity auction. the occasional player visit, or a familiar face for a public speaking engagement, the NHLer does not hesitate.
Erik has even stepped outside his "comfort zone," stepping up to support charities and foundations seeking a cure for male cancers. Another of his endeavors involves the annual "Do it for Dad" run in Ottawa.
"The word cancer frightens everyone, for good reason," Donna said. "It got him thinking about his own dad."
Most NHL players cannot pinpoint the moment during their childhood when the decision is made: I want to become a professional hockey player.
Erik can.
After learning of his brother's illness, Erik took solace what a fresh sheet of ice, teammates and a much-loved game could offer. Hockey became his "oasis."
"I didn't think about anything that was going on back at the hospital, at home," Erik said. "That's where I figured out this is what I wanted to do. That was my time. There was nobody else who controlled anything, except for me at that time. Being able to go out on the ice and think about your next stride, your next pass, shooting the puck, that kind of stuff, that really occupies your mind and lets you forget a lot of things."
The rink gave Erik a time and place to escape. But it also forged an unbreakable bond between he and Dennis. At the hospital, the only thing the youngest Gudbranson wanted to talk about was hockey.
"That was the coolest part about my little brother and what I learned from him," Erik said. "All he wanted to know is how we were doing playing hockey."
Dennis wanted all the details. The goals. The passes. The plays. The saves. The rough stuff. The siblings would sit through good days and bad, talking hockey. Breaking down every move on the ice passed time, lifted spirits.
When the visits came to an end, the eldest brother knew what he had to do for Dennis.
"I really do think I was playing for [Dennis]," he said. "I was playing for my whole family."
When Erik broke into the NHL in 2011, players and coaches often commented on the positive way in which he conducted himself.
Erik often seems unaware of his role as a young leader. The 21-year-old endlessly praises the abilities of his teammates, sometimes stopping to laugh when he realizes he's talking about the "young guys" like a grizzled vet.
Maturity grew out of experience.
With his mother caring for Dennis, and his father, Wayne, working or taking the family and teammates to and from hockey, Erik shouldered the responsibility of making sure his brother, Alex, and sister, Chantal, were okay, too.
The trio spent time playing hockey at a local park, immersed in video games, focusing on studies and just hanging out. Erik knew the more life kept going on as normal the less Dennis would worry about while in the hospital.
"I kind of took that over, I guess, just kind of watched over the two," Erik said. "In that way, I grew up a little bit."
A favorite pastime of the siblings was spending hours in the family driveway firing pucks at the house.
"Everybody has heard about our garage doors at home, but that's what Alex and I would do," Erik said. "We'd go outside and shoot pucks."
A sick child aside, the only thing Donna Gudbranson had to worry about on the homefront was how puck-marked and slightly damaged the front of the house would be.
Six months after Dennis' cancer went into remission, it returned.
This time he required bone marrow transplant. First, doctors needed to find a donor match. No one in the immediate family met Dennis' needs.
The Gudbransons turned to the Canadian Blood Services' OneMatch program, which found a woman in Newfoundland that was able to provide the marrow. She was graded 10 out of 10 -- a perfect match -- the odds of which are 1 in 40,000.
"Absolutely incredible," Erik said. "This lady from Newfoundland laid in a hospital bed for three days after getting her bone marrow taken out so she could save my brother."
After another lengthy hospital stay for his transfusion at the Toronto Hospital for Sick Kids, Dennis began the healing process again.
Five years later, the Gudbransons met the woman who saved Dennis' life.
Erik, Alex and Chantal hosted a ball hockey tournament for charity in their hometown of Orleans. People from the town filled a school gymnasium to give Agnes, the donor, a standing ovation.
"She didn't want anything. She didn't want anyone to know her name," Erik said. "She didn't want to talk to any media. She just wanted to see Dennis and see if he was okay. It was amazing. She is one of the most selfless, amazing women I have met in my life.
Today, Dennis is happy and healthy, playing hockey for the Ottawa Sting Major Midget AA.
Erik basks in his brother's success at the rink.
"He finally just made his first AA team, which is really cool," Erik said, his tone almost father-like. "I was really fired up for him."
While Erik and Alex sport the prototypical physique hockey scouts seek, Dennis has been unable to take advantage of the tall Gudbranson genes. Years of treatment stunted his growth.
That has not stopped Dennis from his pursuit of playing junior or college hockey. He remains inspired by smaller players such as Montreal's Brian Gionta (5-foot-7) and Team USA forward and Panthers prospect Rocco Grimaldi (5-foot-6), who have proven height is not always tied to on-ice success.
"Dennis has amazing hands," Erik said. "He's really silky smooth. He's a really skilled hockey player, and if he can go somewhere, he can go somewhere."
It's Dennis' passion, though, that stands out.
"Dennis is a special kid in the sense he can really go out and have fun -- genuinely have fun," Erik said. "He plays with a passion for the game that's second to none."
Erik's enthusiasm for wanting to help others who experienced what his brother and family went through cannot be dismissed either.
In addition to the numerous charities he's involved with in Canada, he is involved with similar efforts in South Florida.
"Whatever I can do down here," he said. "I'm thinking about getting a foundation going. That would be nice."
He has teamed with Shawn Matthias to host pediatric cancer patients and underprivileged children at Panthers games this season.
On November 15, the Florida Panthers Booster Club will host a watch party at the team's practice facility in Coral Springs as the team faces the Minnesota Wild. The club will be auctioning off memorabilia and collecting donations for Erik's charity of choice, Chris Evert Children's Hospital in Fort Lauderdale.
Sometimes, his mother, whom he works closely with on many of his charitable efforts, is unaware of additional acts of kindness. Yet it does not surprise her.
"This is why I am proud of Erik," Donna said. "Many times he'll do things unbeknownst to me."
The one thing she is fully aware of?
The fight against cancer is one Erik will never back down from.
Erin Brown can be contacted at erinbrownfla@gmail.com or on Twitter @rinkside.
