Former NHLers Highlight 3ICE Rosters for Inaugural Season

The new professional 3-on-3 hockey league, 3ICE, has announced its rosters for its debut campaign, highlighted by former NHLers and even some Olympic influence.

Hockey’s new three-on-three professional league, 3ICE, has unveiled its full roster of players for the upcoming inaugural season.

The league will consist of six teams, each coached by a Hockey Hall of Fame member, touring to eight cities across North America.

The coaches for the teams include Guy Carbonneau, Grant Fuhr, John LeClair, Joe Mullen, Larry Murphy and Bryan Trottier, while the league commissioner is Craig Patrick.

While the group previously announced the signings of several former NHL players, many were absent from the announced rosters. Notably, NHL veterans David Booth, Steve Olesky, Chris Connor, and Greg Mauldin were absent from rosters, while Leland Irving, Chris Bourque, and Jared Aulin will be part of the “taxi squad.” The league did, however, add 42-year-old NHL veteran Ryan Malone.

The end result, however, is far less NHL experience, but several National Hockey League veterans remain, as do current professionals from the AHL, ECHL, KHL, SHL, and other top leagues from across the globe.

Team Fuhr features one of the most NHL veteran lineups with Ryan Malone. Jeff Taffe, and Mike Lundin. Team Fuhr is filled out by a group of pro experienced players in Seamus Donohue, Peter Lenes, Matt Petgrave, and Ty Rimmer.

Team Carbonneau is headlined by former NHLer Aaron Palushaj. The remainder of Carbonneau’s team, including Samson Mahbod, Jeremy Brodeur, JC Campagna, Steven Seigo, and Jordon Southorn, are all past and current professional hockey players with the exception of Nick Lalonde. Lalonde is a former NCAA DI player with Robert Morris. Southhorn, a newly added player to the league spent time this season in the KHL and was a 2008 4th round selection of the Buffalo Sabres.

TJ Hensick and Jayce Hawryluk bring NHL experience to Team LeClair. Hawryluk spent this season with Skellefteå AIK in the SHL, but played last year for the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks. Team LeClair also features former NHLer Brennan Mennell who is currently under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers and spent this season in the AHL. Another current AHLer Alex Kile, ECHLer Dalton Skelly, and Canadian University players Tyler Sandhu and Blake Weyrick round out this roster.

Team Mullen’s NHL experience will come from Brock Trotter and Joe Whitney, who each had a cup of coffee in the league over the past decade. The team features one of the top netminders in the league in Connor LaCouvee who played this season with KalPa in Liiga. Aaron Berisha and former Chicago Blackhawks prospect Rob Flick are both active pros in Europe, with Patrick Mullen and Kevin Fitzgerald completing this lineup.

Mark Auk and Chris Mueller will provide the veteran presence for Team Murphy, each bringing NHL experience to the roster, as does current ECHL standout Griffen Molino. Patrick Kudla, Colton Hargrove, and netminder Eamon McAdam are all former NHL draft picks, with the lone rookie on the roster being Matt Revel, who spent this season with the University of British Columbia.

Finally, Team Trottier brings the least NHL experience to the table with only Bobby Farnham who played 67 games with the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Montreal Canadiens in the lineup. The remainder of their roster - Kevin Beech, Cam Brown, Chad Costello, Sean Dhooghe, Matt Foget, Jake Newton - bring a variety of AHL, ECHL, NCAA, and European experience. Beech was a 2005 pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The 3ICE league will begin play June 18 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas.