[News] 3 on 3 Pro Hockey League to begin play in 2021

[sureLoss]

Interesting. They have TV deals with CBS, TSN, and RDS.


https://www.3ice.com/the-scoop/new-a...n-play-in-2021

E.J. Johnston, son of former professional hockey goalie, coach and general manager, Ed Johnston, has teamed with Hockey Hall of Famer, Craig Patrick, to create 3ICE, a new and totally independent, three-on-three professional ice hockey league in North America slated to begin play in June of 2021.

3ICE is uniquely designed to give hockey fans the speed, skill and excitement they’ve grown to love since the three-on-three overtime concept was introduced in 2015. Utilizing a full-sized rink, every game will consist of two, eight-minute halves using a running clock to keep the end to end action moving at an unprecedented pace.

“Three-on-three hockey has proven to be incredibly exciting display of speed, skill and creativity, and we see a creation of a league based entirely on that as a natural extension whose time has come,” said Johnston, CEO of 3ICE. “We believe we have the best part of hockey and when you add to that the way fans consume and share content today, we can see a day with 3ICE media platforms and leagues in North America, Europe and beyond.”

“3ICE is going to thrive on pure skill, creativity, play making and goal scoring,” said Patrick, Commissioner of 3ICE. “What that means for fans is that our events will be all hockey and no filler. Fans will get seven games in a single-elimination format and a champion will be crowned at each of our nine stops across North America. No penalties, only penalty shots. No long intermissions or stoppage in play for video reviews. Just pure excitement.”

Johnston also announced that the new league has signed television deals with CBS Sports, TSN and RDS. 3ICE Games will air exclusively in the United States on CBS Sports Network, with the Championship Game airing on CBS Television Network. TSN and RDS are the official Canadian media partners. The league also has formed a partnership with Getty Images Inc. and ASM Global.

The inaugural 3ICE season tour will take place during the summer of 2021. The league will consist of eight teams with each team consisting of seven players (including one goalie) and a head coach. The traveling league will not have teams based in particular cities, instead all eight teams will visit each tour city and play in a bracket-style format to determine a champion at each and every tour stop. Overall each season will see 60 games per season, culminating in a final league championship game, giving fans the ultimate hockey experience.

[Toonage]

So kind of like a Red Bull hockey league.

[rain_e]

3ICE? Haha so you just said well the basketball league is called BIG3 so lets be 3ICE.

[SuperMatt18]

So this https://big3.com/ but for hockey.

[CroFlames]

Unless they tweak other rules, like a shot clock, or no over-and-back, it will be a boring display of keep away.

[calculoso]

Two 8-minute halves? 16 minutes total game play?

Good thing this is a for-TV league. I’d hate to drive, park, and pay for that short time of entertainment.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by calculoso

Two 8-minute halves? 16 minutes total game play?

Good thing this is a for-TV league. I’d hate to drive, park, and pay for that short time of entertainment.

Gate Driven leagues are for dinosaurs.

[The Familia]

Read the article. You would watch 7 mini games of 16mins at each event.

[troutman]

Will there be fighting?

[CaptainCrunch]

Not all that interested, this seems to be too video gamey for me.

[Samonadreau]

Wonder if we'll just see the same possession game that takes over 3 on 3 right now where there are long stretches of just trying to maintain possession.

[GreenLantern2814]

I like it - 3v3 is awesome. I dunno about seven 16-minute games, but four?

Nobody gets tired, nobody gets bored, and I bet you see some spectacular saves/goals.

Good luck.

[Derek Sutton]

This was my idea for the survival/ success of a women's pro league. will tune in to watch.

[tvp2003]

Meh IMO. It might be worth watching once but I don't see it having a lot of staying power. 3-on-3 is exciting because it's sudden death overtime with an extra point at stake after a tightly contested 60 minutes of NHL hockey. Players are tired which adds some intrigue/strategy as well.

Seeing semi-pro guys go back in forth in a glorified shinny game seems less appealing to me. It's one thing to do it once a year at the All-star game with the most skilled players in the game. It's another to watch guys like Rob Schemp dipsy doodle around and not bother to play much defence. Maybe if they implement a shot clock or 'over and back" rule as mentioned above, they could keep the action high paced.

I guess anything to grow the game is a positive. Good on them for trying something new.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Meh IMO. It might be worth watching once but I don't see it having a lot of staying power. 3-on-3 is exciting because it's sudden death overtime with an extra point at stake after a tightly contested 60 minutes of NHL hockey. Players are tired which adds some intrigue/strategy as well.

Seeing semi-pro guys go back in forth in a glorified shinny game seems less appealing to me. It's one thing to do it once a year at the All-star game with the most skilled players in the game. It's another to watch guys like Rob Schemp dipsy doodle around and not bother to play much defence. Maybe if they implement a shot clock or 'over and back" rule as mentioned above, they could keep the action high paced.

I guess anything to grow the game is a positive. Good on them for trying something new.

Guys like Rob Schremp weren't good enough for the NHL. But they'd be right at home here. There are a lot of guys with soft hands and quick feet who otherwise lacked something to succeed at the highest level.

They could still put on a show in this format.

[stazzy33]

Is this not what the all-star game has become already?

[Coach]

Bad name = won't work IMO.

Even ICE3 would have been better. I do like the 3v3 in the NHL though. I wish they'd make it longer.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Guys like Rob Schremp weren't good enough for the NHL. But they'd be right at home here. There are a lot of guys with soft hands and quick feet who otherwise lacked something to succeed at the highest level.

They could still put on a show in this format.

Yup.

The Dustin Boyd, Nigel Dawes, Rob Schremp, etc of the world that offensive focused tweeners could probably do well in a league like this.

And it will probably be entertaining.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Yup.

The Dustin Boyd, Nigel Dawes, Rob Schremp, etc of the world that offensive focused tweeners could probably do well in a league like this.

And it will probably be entertaining.

I'm not sure how entertaining it will be. Guess it depends on how motivated the players are to win. If it just becomes all-star game like - that is pretty boring even with 3 on 3 and breakaways every 2 minutes.

[TheIronMaiden]

It like likely get the same level of attention that 5 v 5 soccer gets. Which is outside of rec league participation, practically zero.