Return of 3ICE gives the NHL another chance to see how a potential 3-on-3 OT rule change works

When the NHL implemented 3-on-3 play in overtime nearly a decade ago, the idea was to see the most speed and skill hockey had to offer.

In recent years, 3 on 3 has slowed down, leading league officials to debate rule changes, such as not allowing the puck to go back past the center red line like over and back in basketball. The 3ICE league has had that rule from the beginning, and its return for a third season this spring and summer is another chance for the NHL to see how the experiment works for potential future use.

“That's one of my favorite rules,” Hall of Famer, four-time Stanley Cup champion and 3ICE coach Larry Murphy said, adding he'd support the NHL making that change. “What’s great about the red line over-and-back rule is it puts a little more pressure on the puck — the team with the puck, the possession team. They’ve got a smaller area to work with.”

Murphy's team won the Patrick Cup as 3ICE champions last year, and he's back to defend that title for the league's third season that runs from June 12-Aug. 14. He's one of six Hall of Fame players serving as coaches for the eight teams, joined by Ray Bourque, Joe Mullen, Grant Fuhr, Guy Carbonneau and 2023 inductee Pierre Turgeon.