Winter Olympics hockey venues might not be fully finished for competition, official admits
The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation has revealed that parts of the main hockey rink for the Milan Cortina Olympics might not be fully finished on time. However, the playing surface, practice facilities, and dressing rooms will be ready when the men's event begins on February 11. While the IIHF President Luc Tardif expressed confidence in the venue's readiness, he also noted that the main arena's capacity of 11,800 seats is slightly smaller than expected.
Construction delays and concerns about the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and secondary Rho facility have been making headlines for weeks, especially with the NHL returning to the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 and the women's tournament opening on February 5. The NHL has raised concerns about the construction and the quality of the ice surface, with the league's Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stating that they will not send players if there are any safety concerns.
The league is sending its own experts to Italy to ensure the ice is safe. The facility features rinks smaller than NHL standards but still within IIHF standards. Tardif noted that the IIHF isn't overseeing construction, which is up to the International Olympic Committee and local organizing officials, and can only do so much in terms of the timeline.
Tardif will be traveling to Italy with officials from the league and the NHL Players' Association later this week for a test event at the venue. While he expressed confidence in the quality of the infrastructure, he also acknowledged that they would have liked to have more time to prepare.
The NHL was caught off guard when it became apparent that the two rinks' dimensions will be slightly wider and three feet shorter than what the league and International Ice Hockey Federation agreed upon. The league and NHLPA have reminded the IIHF that they expect the ice surface to be standard NHL size at the 2030 Olympics in France.
