I am a huge hockey fan. Ever since I was introduced to the game in 1986 (yes, I’m dating myself), I’ve been fascinated by the sport. Dudes who hit harder than football players, on ice, wearing knives that are an eighth of an inch wide on their shoes, zipping around after a piece of frozen, hard rubber that weighs about six ounces and is only three inches in diameter. I mean, what’s not to love? The sport is fast, full of skill and stamina. And that’s with five guys per team plus a goalie on the ice.

While the regular NHL season typically runs from October to April, followed by playoffs, which runs into June, for the most coveted trophy in all of sports, Lord Stanley’s Cup. Once the season is over, hockey fans are jonesing for those four plus months to zip on by so we can get back to what we love.

That brings me to the introduction of 3ICE hockey.  This is a brand new  three-on-three professional hockey league that made its debut this June.  It’s being branded as “the best part of hockey”, as it’s modeled after two things: rookie camps and the three-on-three overtime in the NHL. With elite athletes, coaches that are NHL Hall of Famers, an owner who’s a legend of the game and a commissioner that can lay his own claim to fame.

I had the chance to speak with that commissioner, Craig Patrick, and he filled me in on the details of the league, how rules differ slightly from the NHL and how it all came to be.

The best part is, the final regular season game is Saturday August 6th in Nashville. Actually, make that games, plural. 3ICE is not only three-on-three hockey, but each week of play is actually multiple games as it is set up as playoff bracket style. So, this Saturday at Bridgestone Arena, you get to see all six teams in action as they pair up for a three game first round, followed by a two game semi final round.

Check out the interview below, hit up 3ICE.com to learn more about the coaches and teams and get your tickets for Saturday. The puck drops at 4:30pm.