Milan Hockey Arena Setbacks Could Force NHL Stars on Untested Ice

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

With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers announced on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia facility originally planned for December has been relocated to a more compact arena – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.

This situation creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.

“The timeline will be very close to the beginning of the games, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was intended to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being established inside a massive convention center on Milan’s outskirts and will stage secondary matches during the games.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the prior year to hosting podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not just about the playing surface and making sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It’s also about testing food outlets, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new contemporary stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is scheduled to become the nation's largest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the postponements and concerns, expensive passes are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men's championship final on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). This exceeds for any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.

The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the world’s top hockey league permitting its players to participate in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

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