3X3 Format Similar to Basketball's Successful Model, With the Olympics As the Ultimate Goal, But Swedish National Team Chief Anders Lundberg

"One should never say never, but it's a good bit away," he said. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) first proposed the 3x3 concept a few years ago, aiming to eventually add it to the Olympic program.

Florian Mayer, IIHF's 3x3 head, sees it as a complement to traditional hockey, playable year-round and offering another development path for players. The format debuted at the 2020 Youth Olympics, and the first major international tournament, the 3ICE World Cup, was held in