Milano Ice Hockey Arena Setbacks May Force NHL Players on Unproven Playing Surface
Forget about thin ice. For now, there’s no ice.
As NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in more than a ten years, building work on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina Games is cutting it close.
Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena originally planned for December has been moved to a more compact venue – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.
The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the puck is dropped for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.
“The timeline will be very close to the beginning of the games, the timeline is highly compressed. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.
The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia ice was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being established inside a massive exhibition hall on the outskirts of Milan and will host lesser games during the games.
Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not just about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is ready and safe. It’s also about checking food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new modern stadium.
The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to become Italy’s largest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.
Despite the delays and worries, expensive passes are already being purchased for matches at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.
The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the premier hockey organization permitting its athletes to participate in the Winter Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.
Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's event occurs from 5-19 February.
