Ray Bourque rose to fame as one of the most dominant defensemen in NHL history, setting league records throughout a 21-season career that garnered a spot in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Bourque, the NHL’s highest-scoring defenseman of all time, has trading the ice for a spot behind the bench as he and a lineup of former NHL stars take on the role of coach when the 3ICE hockey league comes to South Florida later this month.
Founded in 2022, 3ICE is a three-on-three professional ice hockey league “designed to give fans the speed, skill, and excitement they love” that will be hosting their third season at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale from July 17 to Aug. 14.
The league features eight teams of former pros, minor leaguers and rising prospects who will play weekly matches throughout the monthlong schedule and will be led by several former NHL superstars as coaches, including Bourque and fellow Hall of Famers Guy Carbonneau, Ken Daneyko and Grant Fuhr.
Inspired by the NHL’s regular season overtime format, 3ICE allows only three skaters and a goalie, while games consist of two eight-minute halves. They also tweaked the traditional set of rules to prioritize speed and action.
There are no power plays or overtime, instead opting for shootouts in both situations. Play isn’t stopped for “netting” the puck. The rules even draw inspiration from other sports and include a variation of basketball’s “half-court rule.”
The four-week regular season begins Thursday, July 17, and will conclude with the championship week on Aug.14, when the league’s winner will be awarded the “Patrick Cup” trophy.
Tickets for 3ICE can be purchased online at ftlwarmemorial.com and vary in price from $15 for single-game tickets to $60 for seasonlong passes.
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