Milan’s Santagiulia Arena has been under scrutiny for months as the 2026 Winter Olympics approach. The preliminary round of Olympic hockey will begin on Feb. 5, 2026, but construction on the arena has been described as “going down to the wire,” and now, the International Ice Hockey Federation has confirmed that the rink will be smaller than NHL ice rinks.
According to Sports Business Journal, the International Ice Hockey Federation approved a 60-meter by 26-meter ice sheet. That’s three feet shorter, and only four inches wider, than official NHL rinks and poses a significant safety concern.
Related: Construction of Milan’s Olympic Hockey Venue ‘Down to the Wire’
In an agreement with the NHLPA, IOC and IIHF, the NHL stipulated that hockey must “be played on a surface completed to the specifications used in NHL buildings."
The primary concern with smaller rink dimensions is safety. It will “leave players with less room to maneuver.”
According to Yahoo Sports, the 25-player rosters are due from participating countries by Dec. 31, 2025, and all countries are now aware of the smaller rink dimensions.
“I don’t understand how that happened,” said Team Canada’s assistant coach Pete DeBoer.
On top of the new safety concerns, other teams and players’ associations noted apprehension that construction of the arena is still ongoing. With two months to go until the first day of competition, Santagiulia Arena is still coming down to the wire.
“It appears that positive forward progress is being made with respect to the necessary hockey-related facilities in Milan,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said in a November interview. “We intend to continue to monitor progress as we get closer to the planned test events and the Games themselves.”
