It began as an idea in southern Ontario in 1999.
Adele Nanne was among a group of parents who had traveled to watch their sons play in a hockey tournament in London, Ontario. This particular event was different than traditional minor hockey tournaments; teams were made up of 10 players including a goaltender, and only three skaters per team were permitted on the ice as opposed to five in a regular hockey game.
The purpose for this format: more “open ice.”
After being impressed with this format, Nanne and a few of the other parents tried to remember if they had ever seen a tournament with a similar format back home in Sault Ste. Marie. They concluded there were none.
That was when the idea of hosting a 3-on-3 event in the Sault came about. They called it the Open Ice 3-on-3 tournament. Little did they know, that idea would turn into one of the most popular tournaments on the Sault’s sports scene.
Now, Nanne leads a committee of 15 event coordinators who work tirelessly year after year to plan and run the tournament — which is now in its 20th year. She says the event has come a long way since its inaugural tournament in 2000.
“In our first tournament, we had 24 teams,” Nanne says.
“The next year we had 46 teams, then we had 64 teams, then 88 teams, then we reached 100 teams and never looked back since. I can honestly say we have never really regressed in the number of teams in 20 years.”
The tournament has taken place during the month of April since its inception, and it has become the unofficial end of the hockey season for most players in the area. Nanne says the goal since the beginning has been to provide an opportunity for players to create a team with their friends and teammates and play without the pressure they might feel during hockey season.
“That kid that you sit beside in class, your buddies and your friends — you often can't be teammates, because one's playing here and one's playing there,” she says.
“This is your chance to play with the guy or girl you want to play with, be buddies on the ice, have some fun, and not be under pressure.”
Many of the thousands of players who have participated in this event have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, in professional leagues around the world, for colleges and universities in North America, and in the Ontario Hockey League. For many of these players, the Open Ice 3 on 3 tournament is an opportunity to come home to play with friends they haven’t seen in a while, and have some fun as the hockey season comes to an end.
This year’s event is set to take place April 23-26, 2020. Five hundred games will be played at the five rinks across Sault Ste. Marie. There are 22 divisions that attract players aged six and seven years old to players in their 60s, and despite the focus of the tournament being pressure-free and fun hockey, Nanne says the organizing committee often has to make adjustments to the rules and divisions to keep the event as fair as possible.
“Every year, we're constantly having to make changes to the structure. We're trying to adjust our rules to make it as competitive and fair as we can.”
Aside from the competitive aspect of Open Ice 3-on-3, the contributions to charity are what really makes this event so popular in the community. When it began in 2000, proceeds from the event were donated to the “Hockey Fights Cancer” initiative. Throughout the years, the proceeds were then given to local charities including the Sault Area Hospital Foundation, ARCH and the ALS Society.
In recent years, Nanne explains, organizers have elected to support smaller charities and initiatives as recipients. This year’s proceeds will be donated to an initiative near and dear to the Sault’s hockey community.
The proceeds in 2020 will go towards the Michael Doan Bursary Fund, which rewards two graduating student-athletes from St. Mary’s College with $2,000 towards post secondary studies. Doan was a regular participant of this event prior to his tragic death in 2017.
“We all knew Michael, so it was an easy choice,” she says.
“This (bursary) is one that we're proudly associated with for a while, and we're always proud to donate to that. He was a teammate and a friend, and we really believe in what they're doing. So that's an easy one, a nice partnership for us.”
When asked to reflect on the legacy of this tournament, Nanne says it has taken a while for event organizers to fully realize the economic and social impact it has had on the community.
“Approximately one third of the teams registered travelled to be here from out of town,” she says. “It took us a while to realize that the hotels are full, the restaurants are full, and the town is buzzing during 3-on-3 weekend. We don't always see it because we're busy (with the tournament).
“The city has been awesome in backing us up because they appreciate the impact that we've had, but that was never the reason why we did it. It was a surprise to us, and it's something that we're very proud of.”
You can find more information on the event, or register a team for the 20th Annual Open Ice 3-on-3 tournament here.
