Breaking The ice

A hockey arena is a second home for Joe and Patrick Mullen. Joe would have Patrick around the rink when he played in the NHL and when it came time for Patrick to take the ice, Joe was always there in the stands cheering him on. Even on their off days, one could find the father-son duo spending their free time at the rink. 

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“Sometimes he was just sitting in the stands watching other people play and he would point things out to me, Joe Mullen said. “It was pretty cool that he was always paying attention, picking things up from other people, and noticing things that happened on the ice.” 

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Once his son’s hockey career started to progress from the stands to the ice, Joe loved watching Patrick go through each and every step that he made throughout his own career starting with Peewee hockey.  

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“Then instead of the pros, it was pretty exciting when he was in the American League,” Mullen said. “You wish the best for them and hope that they do get a chance. It's unfortunate that he never really got a chance to play in the NHL, but I’m happy to see the opportunity he has with 3ICE.” 

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While this upcoming weekend in Las Vegas is going to be special for everyone involved with 3ICE, having the opportunity to coach his son again adds another level of excitement for Mullen. 

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Back when Patrick was playing Peewee hockey, Joe was behind the bench as his coach for a season because the NHL was in a lockout during that time. Next to him on the bench was Dave Hanson, one of the Hanson brothers, who also had a son on the team. For Mullen, he knew what his son was capable of at a young age and that was also the case during the 3ICE Draft. 

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“I think I knew right from the start that I wanted him on my team because we have been playing a lot of hockey lately up in Boston and down on Cape Cod,” Mullen said.” I know what type of player he is, what to expect out of him, and what he can do. So, I made it a point to try to get him on my team.” 

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