French players laud Olympic hockey arena after construction delays.

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The primary venue designated for ice hockey at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics has now reached completion. However, National Hockey League athletes may perceive the ice surface as akin to a natural body of water.

For several months leading up to the NHL’s re-entry into the Olympic Games since 2014 and the commencement of the women’s competition this Thursday, the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena has been the subject of extensive media attention due to hold-ups in its construction and other related issues.

Yet, its completion has finally been achieved. Or, nearly so.

Workers are still engaged in putting on the finishing touches, and the facility undoubtedly requires a thorough cleaning following the intense, continuous building efforts undertaken to meet the deadline. Nevertheless, the plastic coverings and exposed wiring, which were conspicuously visible during the venue’s trial event less than a month prior, are no longer present.

Furthermore, athletes have commenced their on-ice activities, with the French team conducting its initial pair of training sessions on the principal rink on Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

“Quite acceptable,” commented France’s captain, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, during an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. He added, “While social media is awash with clips suggesting a chaotic situation, truthfully, the ice quality is genuinely rather good.”

“There’s a slight sensation of being on a lake due to the shallow space beneath, which makes the acoustics and overall feel somewhat unusual, but in my assessment, the ice itself has been satisfactory thus far.”

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CBC Sports senior correspondent Chris Jones states that the Olympic ice hockey venue will not be entirely complete by the commencement of Milano Cortina 2026, offering an exclusive view of the host cities’ preparations three weeks prior to the Opening Ceremony.

Bellemare expressed great enthusiasm for the changing rooms, though he did concede that a few areas still required one or two additional layers of paint.

Nevertheless, even with the facility becoming the primary subject of discussion during the preparatory phase due to the hold-ups, Bellemare stated that he never harbored genuine apprehension.

“Individuals perceive this situation differently,” he proceeded. “At 40 years of age, I’ve spent two dozen years anticipating an Olympic appearance. Now, I have the distinct honor of being present. I recall telling my spouse, ‘Even if the surface were bare concrete, I would attend, and I would be there.’ Consequently, no, I was never troubled.”

“For instance, would I have preferred the entire situation to be less of a central topic and more of an acknowledgment of the Italian organizing committee and their various endeavors? Indeed, I would have preferred that. I was certain there would be an ice surface, and from that juncture, my only task would be to adapt to its specific condition.”

Bellemare is currently a player for HC Ajoie in the Swiss league, yet he spent a decade in the National Hockey League, reaching the Stanley Cup final on two occasions, first with the Vegas Golden Knights and then with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Therefore, does he believe that athletes from the NHL will share the same level of excitement?

“Two dozen years of anticipation have passed, and at this moment, nothing can diminish my spirits,” Bellemare remarked. “Perhaps I am overly optimistic. You might inquire with other participants or individuals arriving from the NHL, and they might convey, ‘Oh, this isn’t ideal.'”

“However, I’ve consistently been regarded as an exceptionally positive individual, one who perceives situations as half full rather than half empty. Consequently, having been here for two days, I’ve found it challenging to stop smiling.”