NHL, NHLPA ‘pleased’ with progress of Olympic hockey rink construction in Italy
The National Hockey League and its Players’ Association released a joint statement on Monday expressing satisfaction with the three-day test event held this past weekend at the Olympic ice hockey venue in Milan, Italy.
As part of the mile-a-minute efforts to get the rink finished in time, the Milano-Cortina organizing committee held the first test event on the brand-new ice surface over the weekend — and, apart from a small hole that formed during the initial session on Friday, it largely went off without a hitch.
Despite the ice sheet being slightly smaller than the NHL’s standard dimensions — 196.85′ by 85.3′, as opposed to the typical 200′ by 85′ — the league and the PA struck a decidedly contented tone in their statement on Monday.
“We were pleased that this weekend’s event was a good trial run and provided important insight into the current status of the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena,” began the NHL and NHLPA’s joint statement. “While challenges are inherent with new ice and a still-under-construction venue, we expect that the work necessary to address all remaining issues will continue around the clock.
“The NHL and NHLPA will continue to monitor the situation, standing ready to consult and advise on the work being done to ensure that the local organizing committee, the IOC, and the IIHF deliver a tournament and playing conditions befitting the world’s best players.”
The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is expected to accommodate 16,000 spectators for men’s and women’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but the NHL has expressed concern over the tight construction timeline for the facility, which is still not fully operational with less than a month remaining until the Games begin.
Delegations from the NHL and NHLPA were in attendance for the test event, which was overseen by ice master Don Moffatt and involved players from local teams in Italy. Moffatt released a statement on Saturday expressing his satisfaction with the ice quality, noting that small holes are “in line with the usual process” in a trial run for a new playing surface.
The 2026 Olympic men’s ice hockey tournament is slated to begin on Feb. 11, six days after the start of the women’s tournament on Feb. 5. The men’s tournament will be the first with NHL player participation since the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.