NHLers ‘not going’ to Olympics if ice isn’t ready and safe, reiterates deputy commissioner

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is “disappointed” that the main arena slated to host ice hockey at February’s Olympics isn’t yet completed with less than two months to go before the Games are scheduled to be played.

The ice isn’t expected to go into the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, Italy, until the end of this month or early January, according to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. That leaves little time to make any adjustments if there are issues with the ice.

The arena is being built from the ground up with temporary ice. It was developed by a private company, and construction started late.

NHL players are set to return to the Olympic Games after more than a decade away.

“There’s a lot we have to do to enable our players to play, including planning the shutdown of the season for two weeks,” Bettman told reporters in Winnipeg on Wednesday. “The fact that the building at this point still isn’t completed is, as I said — and I won’t use any other adjectives — is disappointing.”

Top NHL officials asked about Olympic hockey venue — and ice expectations

NHL ice technicians and experts are in Italy now to offer expertise. They were on hand Wednesday at a test event at the Rho Ice Hockey Arena, the secondary arena that will be used for hockey in Milan.

The ice inside Rho has been built in a repurposed space, and according to reports Daly received on Wednesday, the ice was good.

But officials won’t know about the ice quality in Santagiulia until the ice is created and a test event is held from Jan. 9-11. That 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 under those conditions and temperatures. 

“In all of the prior Olympics, whether they built permanent or temporary facilities, it’s never been this late for completion and the building of ice,” Bettman said. “That’s why we are cautious.”

Earlier this week, Daly told The Associated Press that NHL players won’t compete on the ice if it isn’t safe.

Daly reiterated that on Wednesday.

“It’s probably a self-fulfilling prophecy that if the ice isn’t ready and it’s not safe, then we’re not going,” Daly said. “I mean, I think that’s pretty self-evident.”

A couple hours earlier, across the ocean in Lausanne, Switzerland, International Olympic Committee (IOC) officials downplayed any concerns about the ice where men’s and women’s hockey will be played.

At a press conference to wrap up two days of IOC executive board meetings, IOC president Kirsty Coventry said the arena wasn’t discussed at those meetings. 

But Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said officials feel confident based on the ice conditions being tested this week at the Rho Arena.

“It bodes extremely well for what is coming just before the test event which is the production of the ice in [Santagiulia],” Dubi said.

The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is slated to host in the neighbourhood of 14,700 spectators for the biggest hockey games of the Olympics, including the men’s and women’s medal games.

The first game at Santagiulia is set for Feb. 5, when the women’s tournament opens.

Beyond the NHL, the PWHL is also having “active discussions with the [International Ice Hockey Federation] to gather firsthand information about the ongoing status of the venue and the ice surface,” a statement from the league says.

“We understand the matter is evolving and will continue to work with the IIHF, international federations, and our players’ association in preparation for the Olympics.”

Back in March, officials with the organizing committee for Milano Cortina 2026 said a plan B wasn’t necessary, because the work at Santagiulia was being completed with the committee’s timing. Organizers had aimed to have ice start to go into the arena in October, a deadline that’s come and gone.

While the main arena remains under construction, any issues around the dimensions of the ice appear to be resolved.

Both arenas will have a shorter in length but slightly wider ice surface than an NHL-sized ice surface, which measures 200 feet long and 85 feet wide.

The ice in Milan will be 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet, with much of the difference coming from the neutral zone.

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“While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications,” a statement from the IIHF said.

“All involved, the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, NHL, NHLPA, IOC and the relevant venue authorities agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant, and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play.”

CBC Sports asked the IIHF whether the dimensions were planned to be shorter and wider throughout the entire process or if it changed during construction, but the IIHF said it won’t be providing further comment.

Daly described having a “misunderstanding” with the IIHF around the ice surface dimensions.

“But not significant differences, and I think we’ve gotten past that issue,” he said. “So now it’s all about just making sure we have ice that is safe for our players. That’s our primary concern. We and the players’ association will satisfy ourselves that that’s the case before we play the tournament.”