Milan Ice Hockey Venue Setbacks Could Leave NHL Players on Untested Playing Surface
Put aside thin ice. Currently, there’s no ice.
With NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.
Officials announced on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller venue – and that no new test event has been scheduled yet.
The issue raises the prospect that there may not be a match 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.
“It’s going to be very close to the beginning of the games, the timeline is very tight. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier said recently.
The event that was intended to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey venue, which is being established inside a giant convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will stage lesser games during the games.
Typically, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the year before to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the rink is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about checking food outlets, restrooms and all other amenities inside a newly constructed modern stadium.
This new facility, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a potential future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.
Despite the postponements and concerns, high-priced passes are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are going for as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the inaugural and final events are priced higher.
The return of NHL stars at the Olympics was announced in February of last year, with the premier hockey league allowing its players to compete in the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.
Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to run from 11-22 February. Women's tournament runs from 5-19 February.
