Concerns surrounding the construction of the main ice hockey venue for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics might delay the much-anticipated return of NHL players to the Games. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly mentioned that whether NHL players make it to the Olympics hinges on the timely completion of the arena for the men’s competition, scheduled from February 11 to 22.
Daly stated, “It depends on how likely you are to not complete the link. If the rink is not completed, there will be no NHL players competing in the Olympics.” This concern surfaces as construction delays for the main arena are becoming more pronounced.
In October, local organizers informed The Associated Press that a major test event initially set for December at the 16,000-seat Santa Giulia Arena had to be moved to a smaller venue, although they claimed that the main arena was close to completion.
Just last week, tournament operations head Andrea Francis indicated that there was “no plan B” and that new test events were lined up for the second week of January. He emphasized that the Santa Giulia must be ready to host the tournament flawlessly.
The first event slated for this arena is a women’s qualifying match on February 5, which falls just before the opening ceremony. However, it’s noteworthy that Olympic venues typically undergo testing about a year prior to the actual events.
There are also worries regarding not just the completion of the building but the quality of the ice surface at the arena. Milan’s approved ice sheet was reported to be around 3 feet shorter than the normal NHL rink dimensions. Although the NHL doesn’t oversee rink construction, agreements made with the players’ union and the International Ice Hockey Federation stipulate that arenas need to be built according to NHL specifications.
While the league has recently stated it does not plan to withdraw players from the Olympics, the construction issues remain a point of concern.
