With the 2026 Winter Olympics just around the corner, hockey fans across the globe are counting down the days to see the sport’s biggest stars hit the ice for their countries. But while anticipation builds for the on-ice action, there’s growing concern off it - specifically, about the ice itself.
Recent updates out of Milan, where the Olympic hockey tournament is set to be held, have raised some serious red flags. According to reports, the arena slated to host the games - the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena - is behind schedule, and the issues may go beyond just construction delays.
Team Canada assistant coach Pete DeBoer recently spoke about the situation, and what he shared adds a new layer of concern. For starters, the building still wasn’t fully enclosed as of late October - no roof, which is a bit of a problem when you’re trying to host a winter sport. That alone would be enough to make organizers nervous, but it gets more complicated.
The rink dimensions themselves may be off - and not in a good way. Olympic hockey is traditionally played on a wider surface than the NHL, with the international standard being 100 feet wide compared to the NHL’s 85.
For these Games, the IOC and NHL had already agreed to use NHL-sized ice, which was a concession to make the logistics easier and the game more familiar for NHL players. But now, according to DeBoer, the rink being built might not even meet NHL dimensions.
We’re talking about a surface that could be three to four feet smaller than the NHL standard. That might not sound like much on paper, but in the high-speed, high-traffic world of Olympic hockey, even a few feet can make a massive difference. Whether it’s the length, the width, or both, a smaller sheet changes spacing, angles, and the way the game flows - and not in a way players or coaches are likely to welcome.
Think about how tightly packed NHL rinks already feel with today’s bigger, faster players. Now imagine shrinking that space even more, especially in a tournament where chemistry is limited and teams are thrown together with just a few practices. It’s a recipe for chaos - and not the good kind.
Adding to the uncertainty, a crucial test event that was supposed to take place this month at the new arena has been pushed back. That event was meant to evaluate everything from ice conditions to fan amenities like concessions and restrooms.
Now it’s been rescheduled for early January - just about a month before the puck drops in Milan. That’s cutting it close, to put it mildly.
Perhaps most concerning of all is that, according to officials, there’s currently no backup plan. No alternate venue, no contingency site. The Milan organizing committee has made it clear: this is the arena, and it’s this one or bust.
That’s not exactly the kind of assurance NHL teams and players were hoping for, especially given the league’s delicate relationship with Olympic participation in recent years. The NHL has long been cautious about sending players to the Games, with concerns ranging from injury risks to scheduling disruptions. Add in a potentially substandard playing surface, and you can understand why eyebrows are being raised across the league.
For now, the hope is that the arena gets finished, the rink meets proper standards, and the tournament goes off without a hitch. But as things stand today, there are more questions than answers - and not a lot of time left to fix them.
The Olympic stage is supposed to be where the best of the best shine. Let’s hope the ice in Milan gives them the platform they deserve.