Concerns about the ice hockey arena being built for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, continued after a test event confirmed the venue remains unfinished amid ongoing construction less than four weeks from the first game of the Olympic women’s hockey tournament.
Santagiulia Arena was open to the public for the first time for an Italian Cup game held on Friday, Jan. 9 after numerous reported problems in recent months as organizers scramble to get the building ready in time for the Games.
International Ice Hockey Federation president Luc Tardif said during a news conference earlier in the week that although parts of the rink and arena might not be complete in time, the playing surface, practice facilities and dressing rooms would be ready when the men’s hockey tournament begins on Feb. 11. The women’s tournament begins on Feb. 5.
Tardif also revealed that the arena’s capacity would be 11,800, short of the 14,000-seat capacity originally planned.
This is the first Winter Olympics in which NHL players are slated to participate since 2014. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last month the league would renege on sending its players if there are any safety concerns with the ice. The league is sending its own experts to Italy. The rink is slated to be smaller than NHL standards but within IIHF standards.
What observers said about Olympic hockey arena
The Athletic’s Chris Johnston was at the test event and shared video.
He said the ice surface and seating are in place. He also reported:
‘The ice surface appeared soft and snowy in its debut, and there was a delay in the first period after a hole developed in front of one of the goals.’
‘There were still multiple large holes in the exterior of the building as of Friday night, which poses a major challenge to icemakers since they can’t properly regulate the conditions inside the arena.’
‘The permanent dressing room area is also still under construction, with only three of the planned 14 rooms anywhere near complete.’
Johnston added, however, that ‘there’s no sense on the ground that the Olympic tournament is in jeopardy.’
Florian Wieser, who played in the game, said the hole in the ice was a small one and was fixed in five minutes.
‘Ice was really good,’ Wieser posted on social media. ‘I was surprised how good it was and it will only get better.”
The Hockey News reported that a new coat of ice would be put down after this weekend’s event.
“Today the ice was not perfect, but it will be done again with new ice next week and I’m confident that it will continue to improve,” local Italian RAI play-by-play commentator Matteo Floccari told The Hockey News. “The Olympic Games here will be the biggest occasion ever that Italian ice hockey has ever had, having the greatest players in the world here. It will absolutely help grow the game in Italy, with (Sidney) Crosby and (Connor) McDavid coming here.
‘The jobs being done here have been growing in importance day-by-day and the situation is improving. I’m sure that for the beginning of the Olympics everything here, inside and outside will be ready.’