3ICE enjoys best turnout yet at PPG Paints Arena

Parker Milner has a job.

As the food editor of the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., he covers the dining scene in a tourist destination.

Good work if you can get it.

But his weekend gig differs from what he does on the weekdays.

He’s a goaltender in 3ICE, the new three-on-three hockey league that is in its inaugural season this summer.

On Saturday, the league, which is more of a touring entity, staged its sixth week at PPG Paints Arena. A native of Mt. Lebanon, Milner helped his team win the weekly title Saturday.

But considering the emphasis on offense, why in the world would someone with an otherwise peaceful professional existence in a coastal community want to subject himself to a part-time vocation where he serves as little more than target practice?

“You’re just going out and having fun,” said Milner, who played collegiately at Boston College and spent seven seasons between the American Hockey League and ECHL. “You know you’re going to give up goals pretty much every game. So you just compete. It’s kind of like when you’re a kid getting started. You’re not really thinking about your goals-against average or your save percentage. You’re just kind of playing and having fun. That’s the mentality that I have each game.”

In total, six games were staged at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday in a tournament setting. Each contest consisted of two eight-minute periods with a running clock.

Milner’s team — dubbed Team Trottier as former Penguins star Bryan Trottier is the coach — emerged with Week 6’s championship thanks to a 4-2 win against Team Murphy, which is led by another Penguins great, Larry Murphy.

Team Trottier wins their second weekly @3IceHockey title ???? pic.twitter.com/LIuWnCrtIB

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) July 23, 2022

“It’s very competitive,” said Murphy, a former defenseman who is enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame. “Obviously, a different look at the way to play this game. … It’s been an interesting process. Each week, you learn more because this is new. No one has ever done this before. You learn as you go along. What does it take? What’s the best approach? What do you need to stay away from? I’ve liked that process a lot. I’ve learned a lot.”

Saturday’s games were the first held in an NHL building for 3ICE. Official figures were not available, but nearly half of the seats available in the lower bowl appeared to have a body occupying them. According to league commissioner Craig Patrick, the former Penguins’ general manager who still scouts for the team, Saturday’s turnout was the best yet for the 3ICE.

There are some similarities to the NHL game. There was plenty of skating, and players still grouse at officials. But Saturday’s display was certainly unique to 3ICE’s brand, which is largely casual.

Most obvious was the music that played throughout the competition. Additionally, a skating cameraman, wearing referee’s stripes, is embedded directly in the action. Additionally, there are no penalties, only penalty shots.

Largely, Saturday’s games felt more like a festival than a competition.

“I love the music,” said former Penguins forward Ryan Malone, currently a member of a squad coached by former NHL goaltender Grant Fuhr. “It’s pretty cool. It’s pretty easy for guys to stay focused. You just catch your breath and just worry about breathing.”

It remains to be seen what life 3ICE might be able to take on beyond this season. But the league’s hierarchy professes substantial optimism.

“We had 125 players sign up (for tryouts), and we only need 54,” said Patrick, who oversaw the recruitment of current and former professional players in creating the league. “We had a lot of interest, and we’ll continue to get interest. Players that are watching it now that aren’t playing are calling us and saying, ‘I want to be in it next year.’ The list is getting longer and longer. This is going to get better and better.”

Fun is one thing. Funds are another. And members of each team can earn upwards of six figures should they win the league’s overall championship after the ninth week.

“It’s fun, and the payouts are pretty huge for the work that we have to do,” Milner said. “It’s a big incentive, and I think it’s going to help attract more players in the years to come.”

Added Malone: “We’ve had good turnouts everywhere. Now, it’s getting some traction. The hockey world is noticing. Especially those guys that are in between contracts or are coming out college, they’re like, ‘Oh geez, this looks pretty fun.’ To make some money over eight or nine weekends is pretty special.”