NHL players won’t go to Olympics if ice isn’t ready and safe, deputy commissioner reiterates
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is “disappointed” that the main arena planned to host ice hockey at the February Olympics is not yet complete, less than two months before the start of the Games.
Ice is not expected to enter the Santagiulia ice hockey arena in Milan, Italy, until late this month or early January, according to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly. This leaves little time to make adjustments if there are problems with the ice.
The arena is built from scratch with temporary ice. It was developed by a private company and construction began late.
NHL players are poised to return to the Olympics after more than a decade away, but the arena’s readiness is also affecting the women’s hockey tournament.
“There are a lot of things we need to do to get our players playing, including planning to stop the season for two weeks,” Bettman told reporters in Winnipeg on Wednesday. “The fact that the building is not yet finished at this stage is, as I said – and I won’t use any other adjectives – disappointing.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke Wednesday about the upcoming Winter Olympics and answered questions about their views on the condition of the venue, the ice and what they expect. Bettman said he thought the global event was good for hockey, but added it remained “disappointing” that the hockey building was not completed.
NHL ice technicians and experts are currently in Italy to offer their expertise. They were on hand Wednesday for a test event at the Rho Ice Hockey Arena, the secondary arena that will be used for hockey in Milan.
The ice inside Rho was built in a converted space and, according to reports received by Daly on Wednesday, the ice was good.
But officials won’t know the quality of the ice in Santagiulia until the ice is created and a test event takes place Jan. 9-11. This event will simulate the Olympic tournament, with three games per day and spectators in the stands, all designed to see how the ice holds up to these conditions and temperatures.
“In all previous Olympics, whether they built permanent or temporary facilities, it has never been this late to finish and build the ice,” Bettman said. “That’s why we’re cautious.”
Earlier this week, Daly told the Associated Press that NHL players won’t compete on the ice if it’s not safe.
Daly reiterated this on Wednesday.
“It’s probably a self-fulfilling prophecy that if the ice isn’t ready and if it’s not safe, then we’re not going,” Daly said. “I mean, I think it goes without saying.”
IOC officials play down concerns about arena
Hours earlier, across the ocean in Lausanne, Switzerland, International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials downplayed any concerns about the ice on which men’s and women’s hockey will be played.
At a news conference capping two days of IOC Executive Board meetings, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said the arena had not been discussed in those meetings.
But Olympics executive director Christophe Dubi said officials feel confident given the ice conditions tested this week at Rho Arena.
“This bodes very well for what is coming just before the test event, namely the production of ice in [Santagiulia]“, said Dubi.
The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is expected to accommodate around 14,700 spectators for the biggest hockey games of the Olympics, including the men’s and women’s medal games.
The first match in Santagiulia is scheduled for February 5, when the women’s tournament opens.
Beyond the NHL, the PWHL also has “active discussions with the [International Ice Hockey Federation] to gather first-hand information on the current condition of the venue and ice surface,” a league release said.
“We understand that the issue is evolving and we will continue to work with the IIHF, international federations and our players association in preparation for the Olympic Games.”
Last March, officials of the Milano Cortina 2026 organizing committee said a plan B was not necessary because work at Santagiulia was completed within the committee’s deadline. Organizers had planned for ice to begin entering the arena in October, a deadline that has passed.
Ice dimensions are no longer a problem
Although the main arena is still under construction, any issues with ice dimensions appear to be resolved.
Both arenas will have a shorter ice surface but slightly wider than an NHL-sized ice surface, which is 200 feet long and 85 feet wide.
The ice in Milan will measure 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet, with much of the difference being in the neutral zone.
Milan’s Santagiulia ice hockey arena, which has faced construction delays, is now expected to have an ice surface a few feet smaller than an NHL-sized rink.
“While these dimensions differ slightly from those of a typical NHL rink, they comply with IIHF regulations, match the size of the rink used at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and are fully compliant with the dimensions required by the NHL as part of the arena specifications for World Series games,” an IIHF statement said.
“All involved, the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, the NHL, the NHLPA, the IOC and the appropriate venue authorities agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant and should have no impact on the safety or quality of play.”
Daly described having a “misunderstanding” with the IIHF regarding the dimensions of the ice surface.
“But no significant differences, and I think we have overcome that problem,” he said. “So now it’s just about making sure we have safe ice for our players. That’s our main concern. We and the players’ association will make sure that’s the case before we play the tournament.”
Ice size is not a problem for Troy Ryan, the coach of the women’s national team, but he would like to see more specific dimensions.
The team is in Edmonton this week for two important games against the United States.
“It’s just something, everyone says it, but it’s out of our control,” Ryan told reporters in Edmonton. “I have neither the ability nor the power to make changes to this situation.”
Captain Marie-Philip Poulin said she hasn’t yet thought about what the ice might be like at the Games, but she echoed Ryan’s sentiment.
“I’ve seen a few things get passed around on social media, but it’s not something we can control. We’re here right now… obviously we want things to be ready when we get there, so we’ll go from there.”
