Hockey

Olympics 2026: The arena isn’t ready… and the surface will be smaller than an NHL rink
Marc-Olivier Cook
Olympics 2026: The arena isn’t ready… and the surface will be smaller than an NHL rink
Credit: Screenshot/Twitter

Preparations for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games continue to generate a lot of ink… and not for the best of reasons.

Milan's ice hockey arena now finds itself at the center of controversy: Not only is construction of the amphitheater still not complete… but we've learned via Frank Seravalli(Insider Notebook) that the ice surface will be smaller (by three to four feet) than an NHL rink.

Yikes. Let's just say it raises a lot of questions…

Why the decision to opt for a smaller surface? Space constraints, cost-cutting… or probably a combination of the above. The fact remains, it doesn't give a great image right now for the league's players, and that's a problem.

And I wonder how much the fact that the rink is likely to be smaller might change the guys' vision, two and a half months before the start of the Olympic Games.

We also know thatthere is no plan B for the arena, which is not yet ready. The Olympic Committee doesn't seem to see a huge problem with this situation… and that's a shame, because it's the show on the ice that's likely to be affected.

Because if everything is delivered at the last minute (which seems to be happening at the moment), we'll be playing with fire. As much for the quality of the ice as for the safety and experience of the spectators…

Milan 2026 was supposed to be a showcase for winter sports. But for the moment, the hockey tournament looks more like… a risky bet, because we can see how much anxiety there is at the moment.

In any case, I'm worried.

Seeing NHL players take part in the Olympic Games is always spectacular. It makes for a great show because the guys are working their butts off for their respective countries. But right now… I'm a little less excited about the tournament with what's going on right now.

And I hope it'll be corrected before too long… even though the 2026 Winter Olympics are less than three months away.


Overtime

– I love it.

– Oh.

– That's right.

– Good point.

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