Milan Hockey Arena Setbacks May Force NHL Players on Unproven Ice

Put aside thin ice. For now, the surface isn't ready.

As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a ten years, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Officials announced on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena originally planned for December has been relocated to a smaller arena – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

The issue raises the prospect that there may not be a match held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will be very close to the start of the Olympics, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will host secondary matches during the Olympics.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the prior year to holding medal events. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not only about the ice and making sure that the rink is ready and safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new contemporary arena.

This new facility, which is being built by a private company, is scheduled to become Italy’s biggest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

In spite of the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship final on 22 February – the closing day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events cost more.

The return of NHL stars at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the premier hockey league permitting its players to participate in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey tournament is set to take place from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament occurs from 5-19 February.