3ICE Wired was a segment introduced to the 3ICE broadcasts throughout their inaugural season. It featured excerpts from coaches’ reactions, pep talks, or any other interesting stuff from behind the bench. The idea is similar to the NHL’s Mic’d Up series, where they put a microphone on players and record their audio as they play.
Taking the microphones to Hall-of-Fame coaches is a fantastic idea. It allows the audience to be a fly on the wall, listening to their immediate reactions. It gives a window into their world, seeing how they motivate players and how they react to the flow of the game. Craig Patrick, Commissioner of 3ICE and coach, did not propose 3ICE Wired and has yet to learn where the idea came from.
“I don’t know where it came from,” Patrick said. “But it’s a good idea when they do it in the NHL; it’s nice to get insights from what’s really happening on the ice and on the bench. It sounds great.”
How The 3ICE Coaches Feel About 3ICE Wired
To the average person, having a wire on you may cause nervousness or fear—the chances of anything and everything you say getting broadcasted to the world is a scary thought. The tense situations of the game only heighten the jitters. To understand how hockey legends would feel about the wire, asking them is the only way to get a confident answer.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Patrick said. “I don’t say much anyway, so it doesn’t bother me. I think it’s good for the game to have fans being able to hear what’s going on.”
Related: 3ICE Commissioner Craig Patrick: From Concept to Coaching
Patrick doesn’t feel the weight of the microphone prohibiting him, but loves what it adds to the game. Creating more avenues for fan engagement is something Patrick is striving for as commissioner. Fan engagement is something all coaches mentioned regarding 3ICE Wired. The ability it has to bring fans closer to the game while in the comfort of their own home.
Grant Fuhr, who coached during 3ICE’s first season, understands the challenge some coaches may face while wired up.
“A little more high-strung coaches might have a little tougher time with a microphone on,” Fuhr said. “It just feels natural (to me) and does not bother me. I won’t sit there and curse and all that fun stuff.”
It makes sense that Fuhr feels natural with a microphone on him. During the 2022-23 season, Fuhr was a part of the broadcast team for the American Hockey League’s Coachella Valley Firebirds. This 3ICE season, he looks to improve on his last-place finish from last year.
John LeClair, recently hired by the Philadelphia Flyers, feels similar to Fuhr and Patrick. In regards to Fuhr, he feels natural with the segment. He also understands the importance of growing the game and doing so using unconventional methods.
“It’s not a huge deal,” LeClair said. “You kind of forget about it in a hurry and just go about your business; they’ve done a really good job of making it interactive with the people that come to watch.”
Creating an interactive environment for the people in the stands is an aspect of 3ICE that is underrated. Commissioner Patrick noted the number of people coming up to him as he walked around the venues that housed 3ICE last summer. The league feels the love for the effort they put in.
Mullen’s Relatable Answer On 3ICE Wired
Joe Mullen, the final coach I spoke to, gave a more relatable answer than the other three coaches. While he does acknowledge everything the audio clips bring to the game, he does note the slight frustration it can also spark.
“It bothers me only when I say something wrong, and I forget that the microphones are on me,” Mullen said. “Then I realized what I had just said. So but other than that, I try to keep everything respectful to who’s ever listening. I never know who listens, so I try to keep it cool.”
Keeping it cool is one of Mullen’s best attributes as a coach. On the bench, he can quickly calm down his team. 3ICE Wired helps get fans closer to these hall-of-fame coaches that hockey fans idolize, adding a new dynamic to the 3ICE broadcast.
The 3ICE season is officially underway. The fast-paced clips are a glimpse into the pressure-filled coaching world the hockey hall-of-fame alums have to navigate. It is interesting how each coach approaches having a wire on them. Each of the four either feels natural with the microphone on or, at the very least, appreciates what it is doing to help grow 3ICE. For what the non-aired sounds are coming from the coach’s voices, Mullen puts it best.
“It’s a lot of oohs and awes and going oh gosh’s,” Mullen said. “A lot of stuff like that.”