Milan Ice Hockey Arena Delays Could Leave NHL Players on Untested Ice
Forget about thin ice. For now, the surface isn't ready.
As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in over a decade, building work on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.
Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility originally planned for December has been relocated to a more compact venue – and that no new test event has been scheduled yet.
The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the main arena until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.
“It’s going to be extremely tight to the start of the games, the schedule is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.
The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a giant convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will host secondary matches during the Olympics.
Usually, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a large hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and ensuring that the playing surface is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about checking food outlets, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.
This new facility, which is being constructed by a commercial firm, is slated to become Italy’s largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.
Despite the postponements and worries, high-priced passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina Games. Only tickets for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.
The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the premier hockey league allowing its athletes to participate in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.
Men's Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to take place from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament occurs from 5-19 February.
