NHL’s Olympic Participation in Jeopardy Due to Constructive Issues
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly expressed concerns on Monday about whether NHL players would participate in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy, contingent on the safety of the rink in Milan. If it turns out to be unsafe, the league won’t send players.
There have been rising apprehensions regarding the construction timeline of the main rink as the 2026 Olympics approach. Daly recently stated that if the rink isn’t ready, there won’t be any NHL players participating. While he believes the construction challenges are manageable, he emphasized that safety is a separate issue altogether.
Daly noted that the NHL is consulting with ice experts to ensure everything is done correctly, mentioning, “We’re taking steps to ensure this meets the standards NHL athletes require, and I’m, well, cautiously optimistic about our chances.” However, he remained firm that if players find the ice quality unacceptable, they simply won’t compete.
The return of NHL players, after a decade away, hinges on the organizers’ ability to provide a safe venue prior to the men’s competition, set for February 11 to 22. Local organizers recently announced that a key test event originally planned for a larger arena is being relocated to a smaller venue as construction progresses.
Moreover, the rink will be slightly smaller than a standard NHL rink, with the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirming Monday that the dimensions comply with regulations and are similar to the rink from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. They reassured that these differences won’t impact the safety or gameplay quality.
Interestingly, Milan-Cortina’s tournament operations head indicated just last week that there is “no plan B,” with further test events slated before mid-January.
As the season is set to pause during the Olympics, Daly mentioned there are contingency plans if the rink doesn’t measure up to NHL standards. He expressed confidence in the league’s ability to navigate any challenges that may arise.
