Breaking The ice

The 3ICE ties to Pittsburgh go beyond the ice and the bench, and into the television broadcast booth. Bob Errey (color analyst) and Steve Mears (play-by-play), two voices of the Pittsburgh Penguins, are reunited in the booth during the NHL offseason with 3ICE.

Errey, who played 11 seasons with the Penguins, stayed within the organization at the end of his career. Tom McMillan, former Vice President of Communications of the Penguins, approached Errey and asked if he’d be interested in joining the Penguins radio broadcast team and is now in his 14^th season on the television broadcast with Steve Mears.

For Mears, it was a perfect confluence of events. Growing up in Pittsburgh, he was surrounded by the Penguins who had the best team in hockey with Mario Lemieux, among other Hall of Fame players, some of whom are coaching in 3ICE. Off the ice, Mike Lange caught the eyes (and ears) of Mears, who describes Lange as the best broadcaster.

“That's all I knew I wanted to be like, and I just thought he had the coolest job in the world,” Mears said. “He brought these games to life and delivered the TV radio broadcasts into our living room every night, so I wanted to be like him. This is pretty much all I've ever wanted to do since I was 10 years old.”

CEO and founder of 3ICE, E.J Johnston, was quite familiar with their Penguins broadcasts and was very complimentary of their work, which ultimately landed them back in the booth with 3ICE. Johnston called Mears up one day and asked if the duo would be interested in being the voices of 3ICE, and it was an easy yes from both sides. At the time, Mears was reading a book about the birth of ESPN and right away, started drawing parallels to the opportunity in front of him with 3ICE.

“Immediately, once he started telling me about the vision of the league and just the plan for the growth of this league, I was immediately excited because to be with something from the ground up,” Mears said. Just the fact that you're beginning something from ground zero, I think it's just so exciting. I would love to someday be able to say I was there for day one when 3ICE is ubiquitous, everybody is coming to the games, and it's become a summer staple someday. I think we're getting there after just five weeks, and I think it's really garnered a lot of attention in the hockey world.

From the day Johnston reached out, Errey thought it was an exciting opportunity for the broadcasting duo that he couldn’t pass it up. The professionalism surrounding 3ICE has stood out to Errey and he gives a ton of credit to Johnston for creating a top-notch business.  

“I really didn't know what to expect, just like the players, but the two things that stick out to me are the excitement of the 3-on-3 game, and the passion of the players,” Errey said. “Those things are really what resonated with me and have really made me excited about doing what I'm doing.”

From the very beginning with tryouts and now heading into Week 6 in Pittsburgh, the voices of 3ICE have had an incredible time doing what they love to do. To be the voice of the broadcasts on CBS Sports, TSN, and ESPN International in over 180 countries, is a surreal experience. There are a lot of hockey fans who are looking for content in the summer months and they have the honor of filling this void.

“Every week I end up flying home, I sit down and I'm telling my wife about how much fun we had and just how it's just getting better and better with each week,” Mears said. “I absolutely love it. We're given the resources that were needed as broadcasters to make the best show possible.”

Having a commentating background with the Penguins helped the two transition into calling the 3-on-3 style of play, but it also has some differences that took some preparation and learning to adjust to. The quick pace of the game stands out to Errey, and he’s learned that you can't really be focused on something that happened for too long, or else you’ll miss what’s next.

“I think you pick things up quickly because each and every day, there's something else or a nuance that comes up in the game that you that kind of gets you to shake your head a little bit,” Mears said. “Those kinds of things make the game great and that's what I want, so I love the challenge. I also love the excitement of the game and you have to be concentrated the time because things happen so quickly.”

A lot of preparation went into Week 1 for Errey and Mears who had to learn all the new players and with that, they had to learn all their backgrounds and potential storylines. Additionally, they had to get the rules of the game under the pelt so they can further educate the viewers on them while calling the game. Heading into each weekend, the duo aims to educate the viewers, tell the stories of the players, and call the game.

“Some of these players have had incredibly arduous journeys through pro hockey where they've ridden the buses, they've been through all these leagues, they've lived in foreign countries, and many of them play for just the love of the game, and not making 10s of millions of dollars,” Mears said. “So, you're trying to capture those stories and convey that on our broadcast.”

Mears and Errey are looking forward to being back in the booth at PPG Paints Arena. Their friends and family have been watching the action on TV, and now they’ll be seeing it right in front of their eyes in Pittsburgh. This is the first time 3ICE takes the ice in an NHL facility, so Mears is expecting a good and excited crowd.

“I know that once you watch the games, you will be drawn into it because it's just that type of game. If you like skill, fast action, a fast-paced game, and exciting action, you can't help but love it,” Errey said. “If they don't know what to expect, they're going to get a good feel of 3ICE with a lot of chances, a lot of great saves, and skilled players picking pucks up on their sticks. They'll come out of there saying, ‘Hey, that was pretty cool,’ I'm sure of that. I'm hoping they get to the building because once they do, they'll certainly not regret what they see.”

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