Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the National Hockey League, expressed his dissatisfaction regarding the primary venue designated for ice hockey at the upcoming February Olympics, noting its unfinished state with under two months remaining until the scheduled start of the Games.
Installation of the ice surface at Milan, Italy’s Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is not anticipated until late December or early January, as stated by NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. This timeline provides minimal opportunity for rectifying any potential problems with the ice.
This venue is a brand-new construction, featuring a temporary ice rink. A private firm undertook its development, and its building phase commenced behind schedule.
Professional hockey players from the NHL are slated to participate in the Olympic Games again following an absence exceeding ten years; however, the preparedness of the facility also impacts the women’s hockey competition.
“We face numerous tasks to ensure our athletes can compete, such as arranging a two-week pause in our regular season,” Bettman conveyed to journalists in Winnipeg on Wednesday. “The circumstance that the structure remains incomplete at this juncture is, as I previously stated – and I will refrain from employing additional descriptive terms – regrettable.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke Wednesday about the upcoming Winter Olympics and took questions on their views on the state of the venue, the ice and what they expect. Bettman said he thinks the global event is good for hockey but added it remains ‘disappointing’ that the hockey building is not complete.
Specialists and engineers from the NHL, proficient in ice maintenance, are presently in Italy to provide their expert advice. On Wednesday, they were present at a trial event conducted at the Rho Ice Hockey Arena, Milan’s alternate venue designated for hockey matches.
The playing surface within Rho was established in a converted area, and based on updates Daly obtained on Wednesday, the ice quality was satisfactory.
However, the quality of the ice at Santagiulia will remain unknown to officials until its formation and a subsequent test event scheduled for January 9-11. This event is planned to mimic the Olympic competition, featuring three daily games with attendees, aiming to evaluate the ice’s resilience in such environmental conditions and thermal ranges.
“During every preceding Olympic Games, regardless of whether permanent or temporary structures were constructed, the completion and ice installation has never occurred at such a delayed stage,” Bettman remarked. “Consequently, our approach is one of careful vigilance.”
Prior this week, Daly conveyed to The Associated Press that National Hockey League athletes would abstain from playing if the ice surface presented safety concerns.
Daly reaffirmed this position during Wednesday’s discussions.
“It likely constitutes a foregone conclusion that if the ice is unprepared and hazardous, our participation will be withdrawn,” Daly stated. “In my view, that point is quite obvious.”
International Olympic Committee Representatives Minimize Venue Worries
Several hours beforehand, on the other side of the Atlantic in Lausanne, Switzerland, spokespersons for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) dismissed any apprehensions regarding the ice surfaces intended for both male and female hockey events.
During a press briefing concluding two days of IOC executive board sessions, Kirsty Coventry, the IOC president, indicated that the subject of the arena did not arise in those discussions.
Nevertheless, Christophe Dubi, the executive director for the Olympic Games, reported that officials maintain a sense of assurance, stemming from the ice evaluations conducted this week at the Rho Arena.
“This outlook is exceptionally positive for the phase preceding the trial event, specifically the creation of the ice surface at [Santagiulia],” Dubi commented.
The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is projected to accommodate approximately 14,700 attendees for the premier hockey contests of the Olympic Games, encompassing both the men’s and women’s medal rounds.
The inaugural match at Santagiulia is scheduled for February 5, marking the commencement of the women’s competition.
In addition to the NHL, the PWHL is engaged in “ongoing dialogues with the [International Ice Hockey Federation] to acquire direct insights regarding the current condition of the facility and its ice surface,” according to a league statement.
“We recognize the situation is fluid and will maintain collaboration with the IIHF, other international governing bodies, and our athletes’ union as we prepare for the Olympic event.”
In March, representatives from the Milano Cortina 2026 organizing committee indicated that an alternative strategy was unwarranted, asserting that operations at Santagiulia were progressing within the committee’s established schedule. The organizers had originally intended for ice creation to begin in the arena by October, a target that has since passed.
Ice Surface Measurements Cease to Be a Concern
Despite the primary venue still being under construction, previous concerns regarding the ice dimensions seem to have been addressed.
The two facilities will feature an ice surface that is somewhat shorter in length yet marginally wider compared to an NHL-standard rink, which spans 200 feet in length and 85 feet in width.
The playing area in Milan is specified at 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet, with the majority of this variance concentrated in the center ice region.
The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, which has faced construction delays, is now expected to have an ice surface that’s a few feet smaller than an NHL-sized rink.
“Although these measurements vary somewhat from a standard National Hockey League rink, they align with International Ice Hockey Federation rules, correspond to the rink size utilized at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, and completely conform to the dimensions mandated by the NHL for its Global Series Game venue requirements,” an official statement from the IIHF confirmed.
“Every party involved, including the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, the NHL, the NHLPA, the IOC, and the pertinent facility authorities, concurs that the variations in rink specifications are negligible and are not expected to compromise either player safety or the standard of gameplay.”
Daly characterized an “unclarity” with the IIHF concerning the dimensions of the ice playing area.
“However, the discrepancies were not substantial, and I believe we have moved beyond that matter,” he stated. “Therefore, the current focus is entirely on ensuring the ice is secure for our athletes. That represents our foremost priority. Both we and the players’ union will assure ourselves of this condition prior to the commencement of the competition.”
For Troy Ryan, the head coach of the national women’s squad, the ice surface size does not pose a problem, though he expressed a desire for more precise measurements.
This week, the team is situated in Edmonton for a pair of crucial matches facing the United States.
“It’s simply something everyone acknowledges, yet it remains beyond our influence,” Ryan conveyed to journalists in Edmonton. “I lack the capacity or authority to implement alterations in that specific circumstance.”
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin mentioned she had not yet considered the potential condition of the ice at the Games, but she reiterated Ryan’s perspective.
“I noticed a few items circulating on social media, but this is not within our purview. Our current focus is here… naturally, we expect everything to be prepared upon our arrival, and we will proceed accordingly.”
