MILAN, Dec 10 (Reuters) – Local organisers said on Wednesday that the main Olympic ice hockey venue in Milan will be in perfect condition after a senior NHL figure raised the prospect that top players could opt out if they felt the new surface is not safe.
With the Games less than two months away, the Santagiulia ice hockey arena is not yet finished. It also emerged this week that the surface will be a little shorter than NHL specifications, raising concerns over the risk of even more high-speed collisions between players.
“We are certain that the ice on the rink at the Santagiulia Arena will be perfect and all the players will be happy to play there, because we are working with the world’s top experts,” Andrea Francisi, Chief Games Operations Officer for Milano Cortina 2026 told Italy’s Sky television.
Francisi said that the ice would be laid at the new venue later this month, in time for a first test event scheduled for the weekend of January 9-11.
“We will have every opportunity to improve the quality of the ice, which is crucial for athlete safety,” he added.
“The idea that American hockey players might not come is not something we consider at all; we are certain the ice will be perfect.”
Progress on the Santagiulia venue has emerged as the main headache in the run-up to the Olympics, which will be co-hosted by Milan and the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6-22.
Players from the elite North American NHL are due to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told reporters this week that players would not take part if they felt the surface was not safe.
“We have offered and they’re utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers,” Daly said. “We’re basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that’s acceptable for NHL athletes. And I’m cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful.”
(Writing by Keith Weir, editing by Alvise Armellini)
