This professional 3-on-3 hockey league promises a show

As the name suggests, two teams compete three against three. The game takes place on a rink the size of the NHL. Aside from these two elements that are familiar to hockey fans, everything is different.

First, the calendar is a series of nine weekly events. Every Saturday, the six teams that make up the new circuit gather in an arena to play an eliminatory tournament. A 16 -minute fight, divided into two legs. The winning team will advance to the next round until only one is left, which is a six -game amateur hockey program.

How many additional features? There is no penalty, but instead an automatic penalty shot with the player chosen at the discretion of the coach. In the event of a tie, opponents proceed directly to the shootout. Goaltenders can touch the puck anywhere on the ice, and if it returns to the game after touching the backstop, the action will continue.

The genesis

The idea first popped into the mind of EJ Johnston, a former television producer from Los Angeles, when he attended a rookie camp held simultaneously by the New Jersey Devils and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Johnston trained at Penguins facilities, as the son of former star goaltender Ed Johnston, who had a 23-year administrative career in Pittsburgh, both behind the bench and on the second floor.

At the end of the camp sessions, the players played a three-on-three match. There were some fans in the arena and they were on the edge of their seatsJohnston explained.

” The boys were nowhere near making the league and they put on a show. “

The business plan took a month to write, a few months to validate left and right, and a few more months for finances. If not for the pandemic, the project would have taken three years to set up.

We met the broadcasters and we arranged it by shaking hands from the first meeting, which is rare on televisioncontinued Johnston.

Who are the players?

There are no particularly well -known players in the inaugural crop, other than Ryan Malone, who has six seasons with more than 20 goals in the NHL, and isn’t quite the prototype of the player the league seeks.

The qualities to look for are rather speed, creativity and a high level of skill. Not necessarily to be strong, almost quality sine qua non to be successful at the highest level in five-on-five.

According to Johnston, a third of the players will have NHL experience, another third will be North Americans who have rolled their bump in Europe and the last third will be made up of young people coming out of junior or university. rank.

We wish we had a lot of Connor Shearyhe says.

Samson Mahbod has a more preferred profile. Small, with very high intelligence in the game. The Montreal hockey player was never drafted into the NHL, but he had a brilliant career in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, before moving around the world. Last year he played in Slovakia.

” I have a fever. I wanted to be a part of it. I am honored to inaugurate the first season. “

Samson Mahbod was treated to a one -hour sales pitch by Zoom. He then traveled to Las Vegas, where the selection camp was held in April.

All the players were amazed. The food, the amenities, it’s super professionalhe says.

A total of 60 players attempted to earn one of 42 positions in one of six seven -man squads, not including goalkeepers. The six star coaches, as they are, will pick their players as in a repechage. Mahbod was chosen by Guy Carbonneau. Of the six coaches, only John LeClair is not Hall of Famer, as Grant Fuhr, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy and Bryan Trottier all have their plaques in Toronto.

It is certain that their good reputation is a factor, but they are present to do a real job as coaches and general managers. They draft their players, there will be real new schemes imaginablesaid EJ Johnston.

A starting point

A new professional hockey adventure will begin in Las Vegas this weekend. Over the nine weeks, eight days of the match and the grand final, players will share $ 2.2 million, half of which will be distributed for the final alone. A player could pocket $ 160,000 that the team would go all the way for a summer nine-day job.

That’s almost as much per minute as an NHL playerdisgusted Johnson said.

This year’s goal is to provide a great on-site experience in the arena, and make a great television product. And then, the organization thinks big: expansion to Europe, World Cup.

” Their passion, the money they put into it. Some KHL guys called me because they were interested. “

And even though 3ICE is a private company with no games to bring its sport to the Olympic Games, its leaders know the desire of the new president of the International Ice Hockey Federation, Luc Tardif, to turn this idea into an idea. truth.

In my opinion, hockey is actually more appropriate than three-on-three basketball, because player size is less important in hockey in this format.he says.

EJ Johnston also noticed that the formula already works as shown in overtime in the NHL, and 3ICE’s proposal would be even more exciting, as the game will resume after a goal. Again, this will be a breakthrough in new territory.