3ICE, a new, 6-team, independent, three-on-three professional ice hockey league in North America, has announced its first player signings for the  inaugural season, which opens June 18 in Las Vegas.

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David Booth, Chris Bourque, Chris Conner, TJ Hensick and Aaron Palushaj all have signed one-year deals with the league. Each player will be eligible to be drafted by six different teams that will consist of seven players (including one goalie), competing in a nine week season that will feature six games each night. Players on 3ICE rosters will be competing for more than US$2 million in prize money across all nine tour-stops.

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Booth, who was selected 53rd overall by the NHL’s Florida Panthers in 2004, played five seasons with them where he was voted the team’s MVP in 2004. He also spent four seasons with the Vancouver Canucks and later spent time with Toronto Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings. Booth most recently played for HC Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

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Drafted 33rd by the Washington Capitals in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Bourque appeared in 51 NHL games for the Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins. He most recently played with ERC Ingolstadt of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).

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Conner, who’s NHL experience includes time with the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Washington Capitals, has had an illustrious career in the American Hockey League (AHL) where he played 15 seasons for various NHL affiliates.

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Selected 88th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in 2005, Hensick played in 99 games with the team over three seasons. He also spent time with the St. Louis Blues before joining the AHL where he spent 12 seasons.

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Palushaj, who was drafted 44th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, played in four NHL seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes. He also spent a number of seasons in the AHL and most recently played for HC Davos of the Hockey National League.

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“Craig Patrick and Steve Baker have done an incredible job curating our player pool-demand came from the four corners of the map,” said 3ICE’s Founder & CEO, E.J Johnston. “We have nearly 100 players signed for tryouts, which we are holding in Las Vegas in April, and these first five men not only tick that NHL box, but are exactly the type of speedy, nifty players we are looking for. We’ll announce more names soon, but the rest of the pool is just as exciting.  We have world-class players from nearly every league around the globe and we will be a fast, highly-skilled and young league with the average player age somewhere around the 28-year old mark.”

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2022 3ICE Schedule

• ‍Week 1: Sat., June 18 - Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV, USA
• Week 2: Sat. June 25 - Magness Arena, Denver, CO, USA
• Week 3: Sat., July 2 - Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
• Week 4: Sat., July 9 - Giant Center, Hershey, PA, USA
• Week 5: Sat., July 16 - Budweiser Gardens, London, ON, Canada
• Week 6: Sat., July 23 - PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
• Week 7: Sat., July 30  - Centré Vidéotron, Québec City, QC, Canada
• Week 8: Sat., August 6 - Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, USA
• Week 9: Sat., August 20 - The 3ICE Patrick Cup and Playoffs at Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV, USA

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About 3ICE

3ICE is a new and totally independent three-on-three professional ice hockey league in North America, created by Founder & CEO E.J. Johnston.  Designed to give fans the speed, skill and excitement they love 100% of the time, the on-ice action moves at an unprecedented pace, providing the ultimate hockey experience. For more information on 3ICE, please visit www.3ice.com.