3ICE Finland has been crowned champion of the first-ever 3ICE World Cup after defeating 3ICE Great Britain 6-1 in Sunday’s championship game, bringing to an exciting weekend of high-octane three-on-three hockey action at the home of the Belfast Giants.
Across the two-day international tournament, which was broadcasted across the globe, thousands of spectators packed out The O2 Belfast to watch 3ICE Great Britain, 3ICE Canada, 3ICE USA, 3ICE Sweden, 3ICE Finland, 3ICE Germany, 3ICE Austria, and 3ICE Switzerland go head-to-head for the Eddie Johnston Sr. Trophy.
Steve Thornton, Sports Director at The Odyssey Trust, said: “The 3ICE World Cup is a prime example of what can be achieved when likeminded organisations come together to produce something special. This weekend wasn’t just a celebration of world-class hockey, but also of collaboration, community, and competition, and we feel incredibly proud to have hosted the first-ever World Cup right here in Belfast. Events like this put Northern Ireland on the global stage and showcase Belfast as a destination that’s more than capable of hosting world-leading events, and we’d like to thank all the players, coaches, spectators, sponsors, and volunteers who made the weekend such a success.”
Forming part of Northern Ireland’s ‘America 250’ celebrations, which commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the 3ICE World Cup featured an impressive lineup of world-class players and coaches from across North America and Europe.
Multi-time Stanley Cup-winners Larry Murphy, Ken Daneyko, and Johnny Oduya were joined by Belfast Giants’ head coach Adam Keefe, alongside household names Ron Pasco, Christian Wohlwend, Raimo Helminen, and Florian Pedevilla behind the benches, while highly skilled players, including Patrick Grasso, Peter Lenes, Jeremy Brodeur, Jayce Hawryluk, Teemu Pulkkinen, Dmytro Timashov, and Jordan Kawaguchi lit up both ends of the ice.
E.J. Johnston, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 3ICE, commented: “The city, the fans, and, most importantly, the hockey were all incredible. To bring this format overseas for the first time and for it to have been as successful as it has is a testament to everyone involved. The O2 Belfast has been the ideal location for the World Cup and has demonstrated Belfast’s incredible appetite for world-class hockey. I’m excited for what the future holds.”
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Image credit: William Cherry, Press Eye.
