Good things come in threes: 3Ice set to launch in June

3Ice is a new hockey league that should provide a unique experience for hockey fans of all ages and backgrounds.

For those of us who are hockey junkies, we will take any type of hockey that is thrown our way. It could be games between the youngsters trying to make a name for themselves in college or in the American Hockey League. In June of 2020, there will be a new league us hockey fans should get amped up for – 3Ice

The 3Ice League, a 3-on-3 hockey league, will be composed of eight teams, not territorial to cities, states, or provinces, that will tour around the United States and Canada in bracket-style, single-elimination tournaments.

A major concern in the NHL for many years was the fact that over 50-percent of overtime games were decided by individuality, via the shootout. From 2005 to the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, shootouts decided overtime games at a 56.8-percent tick. That led to the move to make overtime a 3-on-3 spectacle, which created exciting open-ice hockey, resulting in fewer shootout and quicker endings.

This addition to the NHL game has made the sport of hockey even that more of a thrill for the players and the viewers. Whether you are watching it from your seat at home or at the game, the gut-wrenching, yet marvelous overtime period has given fans an extra boost of excitement.

While the shootout showcased the many jaw-dropping dekes and dangles players’,  possess, this 3-on-3 style of play is still hockey, where skating, passing, and positioning plays a focal point in the result, rather than just one player.

As of now the locations of these games have not been decided officially, but 3ICE has narrowed their list to 13 cities:

The inaugural season will feature nine tournaments on the schedule, as well as a championship game. The rules for this league are simple. Two eight-minute periods with running clocks. All penalties are penalty shots. Fans may have the ability to vote on replay reviews, rather than leaving the result to the league itself.

But the coolest thing in my opinion, in a season not affected by a pandemic, is that once the Stanley Cup Finals end, this league begins, giving fans a league to watch during the NHL offseason.

While it is not set in stone just yet on what players will be playing in this new exciting venture, the plan in place is to have players from a professional hockey background, including former NHL players, spanning from the ages of 27-32 taking part in this excitement, with each team carrying six skaters and a netminder.

The league yesterday announced the high-caliber coaching staff that will be taking control of the teams in this first season.

This new operation is in brilliant hands, as Craig Patrick, known for his role as assistant coach to Herb Brooks during the 1980 United States Winter Olympics, is serving as the commissioner. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is E.J. Johnston, the son of Hall of Fame netminder and general manager Ed Johnston, who has worked for NBC and Fox Sports, the main media man on the team.

While we are many months away from seeing this spectacle on the ice, hockey fans should start mentally preparing for this new and unique pro league.