Milan Ice Hockey Arena Delays May Leave NHL Players on Untested Playing Surface

Forget about poor conditions. For now, there’s no ice.

With NHL athletes preparing to return to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the primary venue until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the opening ceremony.

“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia ice was a segment of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a giant convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the games.

Typically, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not just about the playing surface and making sure that the playing surface is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about checking food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed contemporary arena.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is scheduled to become the nation's biggest covered stadium. For after the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.

Despite the postponements and worries, expensive tickets are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – are going for 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 comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced last February, with the world’s top hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

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