The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation said parts of the main hockey venue for the Milan Cortina Olympics might not be fully finished on time, but the playing surface, practice facilities and dressing rooms will be ready when the men’s event begins Feb. 11.
“We can be confident on that,” IIHF president Luc Tardif told reporters Monday at the world junior championship. “You’re not going to go to Milano for nothing.”
As reported by The Guardian in London, Tardif added that the main arena will not be “exactly” what he expected in terms of capacity, with the number of seats set at 11,800. “That’s a little bit short,” he said, according to the Canadian Press. “But it will be a nice setup for the Olympic Games.”
Construction delays and other concerns about the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and secondary Rho facility have drawn headlines for weeks, with the NHL returning to the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 and the women’s tournament opening Feb. 5.
The NHL has expressed concern about the construction and also the quality of the ice surface, The Guardian reported. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said last month in Winnipeg that the league will not send its players if there are any safety concerns with the ice. The league is sending its own experts to Italy to ensure the ice is safe. The facility features rinks smaller than NHL standards but still within IIHF standards.
Tardif said he will be traveling to Italy with officials from the league and the NHL Players’ Association later this week for a test event at the venue. “I’m confident about the quality of the infrastructure,” he said. “We would have liked to sleep much better … I think we will have a good competition, but maybe you can ask me the question after (this week).”
He noted that construction is up to the International Olympic Committee and local organizing officials, and the IIHF can do only so much in terms of the timeline.
Related: Olympic Ice Sheet Being Built to Specs Smaller Than NHL Standards
Per The Guardian report, the NHL was caught off guard when it became apparent the two rinks’ dimensions will be slightly wider and three feet shorter than what the league and International Ice Hockey Federation agreed upon. Daly said the league and NHLPA have reminded the IIHF that they expect the ice surface to be standard NHL size at the 2030 Olympics in France.
