A three-in-three is when American Hockey League teams play three times in as many days, usually on the weekends. It was once a common occurrence but is now a rarity, with the recent schedule release bringing it to light.
The American Hockey League schedule release was Thursday afternoon. It’s become the social media admin’s highlight of the year as the release videos never cease to amaze. It’s also become the day that hockey fans circle to plan their travel, weekends, and long cold winter nights.
The schedule had a few interesting takeaways, including more out-of-conference home-and-home matchups. The San Diego Gulls and Springfield Thunderbirds will meet in a matchup that separates the teams by nearly 3,000 miles.
The big takeaway was the lack of three-in-threes. For those who aren’t aware, a three-in-three is three games in as many days, with the trio usually on a weekend. It used to be a staple of the AHL and is now a rarity. Aside from the 10 Pacific Division teams, who have zero tree-in-threes, below is a breakdown of which teams have the most and which have the fewest.
Five Three-In-Threes (2 teams): Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Grand Rapids Griffins
Four (2 teams): Providence Bruins, Syracuse Crunch
Three (3 teams): Hershey Bears, Springfield Thunderbirds, Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins
Two (7 teams): Belleville Senators, Chicago Wolves, Hamilton Hammers, Hartford Wolf Pack, Milwaukee Admirals, Rochester Americans, Utica Comets
One (3 teams): Iowa Wild, Rockford IceHogs, Toronto Marlies
Zero (5 teams): Charlotte Checkers, Cleveland Monsters, Laval Rocket, Manitoba Moose, Texas Stars
In short, half of the league isn’t playing a three-in-three this season, and most are playing one or two. It’s not a surprise to see this change in the schedule, yet it speaks to where the league is heading.
A Staple Of The AHL
These were once a common occurrence. The three in threes or the six in eights were as much an identity of the AHL as the enforcers, the bus rides, the line brawls, the crazy stories, and everything else that makes this league truly a one-of-a-kind.
It was a part of the grind. For the veterans, it was the fight to keep their careers alive and the urge to power through the jam-packed weekends to make it to the NHL. This was the ultimate test for the prospect. If they could survive and play well in a three-in-three, they would certainly make it in the NHL.
Of course, there were downsides. By the time that final game rolled around, teams were running on fumes, and the games were far from the best product. The final game would often prompt teams to call on the enforcer to bring the energy to the bench, the crowd, and the game in general by dropping the gloves with the other team’s enforcer.
Like the enforcer and fighting in general, the three-in-three is slowly fading away. This schedule release is a reminder of that, and it’s not a new thing either.
This Was Happening For A While
Teams are hyperfocused on the prospects and the development aspect of the league. It’s been that way for a decade but now more than ever, the AHL is the top development league in the world, and every NHL team has a strong say in how its affiliate operates.
That means a lighter schedule. The number of games is down from 80 to 72, and teams will have back-to-backs but rarely play three-in-threes. They want to keep their prospects fresh and ready to go when they are called up, and also get a fair evaluation of their players as well.
There might be a world in the not-so-distant future where AHL teams put together similar schedules to their NHL teams. Meaning, they’ll play more games on weeknights. Instead of back-to-backs, games will come after one or two days of rest, with practices between games. It’s what the teams want. Is it what the AHL wants? Is it good for the league?
The Downsides To The Decline In 3-In-3s
The AHL and the 90-year history of the league were built on the fans. Many of them don’t root for an NHL team, and for them, the AHL team is the team they’ve supported and will continue to support regardless of their affiliation. It’s why the league historically is a weekend league, one that relied on gate revenue to survive.
The fans who make the league what it is are the ones who suffer the most. For many of them, going to a game on a weeknight is a job, one that can wreck their entire week. The weekend games are the ones they circle when the schedule is released because they can attend those games. Sure, the product of a Sunday afternoon game where the players are noticeably fatigued is worse but that doesn’t matter, not to the fan who can make it and certainly not for the kid who experiences live hockey for the first time.
It’s doubtful the AHL returns to the days of three-in-threes. The trend of lighter schedules will only continue. However, the league must consider the cost that comes with this. Even as teams shift away from three-in-threes, they should account for the fans and the weekends that keep them going through the winter.
