NHL players ‘not going’ to Winter Olympics if ice isn’t safe: deputy commissioner
Global News
The NHL says if the ice rinks for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics aren't to standards by game time, its players will not be attending the games.
The 2026 Winter Olympics are less than two months away and the NHL says if the hockey rinks aren’t ready in time or are unsafe, the league’s players are “not going” to the Games.
On Tuesday, a match was played on the secondary Rho Ice Hockey Arena, one of two planned locations for hockey in February’s Milano Cortina Games.
But the question remains if the main Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena will be ready in time, despite officials saying the 16,000-seat facility will be good to play on.
The concerns surrounding the rink are not just about if the structure will be ready, but also if the ice will even be playable.
“They haven’t made ice yet,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said during a news conference on Wednesday in Winnipeg. “So we don’t know how good the ice is yet on the number one rink.”
February’s Olympics will be the first since 2014 featuring participation by NHL players.
The NHL says it has sent its own ice specialists to help with preparations, but the league says until the surface is tested with skaters and the warmth from many fans in the arena, it may not be clear if the quality will be good enough.
“If the ice isn’t ready and it’s not safe, then we’re not going,” said NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly. “I mean, I think that’s self-evident.”
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