NEW YORK – Sometimes a problem outside of your control is more difficult than one you created.
In the case of the National Hockey League and the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, the news that the Milan arena may not be ready on time came with a bang just as the NHL was holding its Board of Governors meeting Wednesday in New York.
“We've been concerned about the rink for the last two years, both rinks, but mostly the main rink,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said.
Local organizers confirmed Associated Press On Wednesday it was reported that the main test event scheduled for December at the 16,000-seat Santagiulia Arena – the Under-20 World Cup from December 8 to 14 – had been moved to a smaller rink and that no new test events were planned.
At this point, it seems possible that the first hockey game played in the new Olympic arena will be the first game of the Olympic tournament.
“It will be very close to the start of the games, the timing is very tight. But we knew that,” Andrea Varnier, general director of the Milan-Cortina local organizing committee, said recently, according to the AP.
What will the NHL do if the arena is not ready on time?
“It's the IOC's responsibility,” Bettman said, referring to the International Olympic Committee. “We are invited guests, but they are aware of our concerns and we expect them to deliver on all promises and create a first-class facility from a competitive standpoint.”
Does the NHL have a contingency plan?
“You better talk to the IOC,” Bettman advised. “It's not our problem.”
However, this will become a problem for the league if the ice becomes a safety hazard. The NHL and players' associations won't be happy to see the lion's share of their best players put at risk for an Olympic committee that can't provide a safe playing field.
“If we have concerns, we will express them,” Bettman said Wednesday in New York. “We are limited in what we can and cannot do, ask and demand, and if the situation gets to a certain point, we will have to deal with it. But I am not speculating, and the IOC and IIHF have constantly assured us that everything will be fine.
“Obviously the Players Association will share our concerns if we have any.”
The under-20 tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey arena, built inside a giant conference center on the outskirts of Milan. The venue will host minor matches during games. Once completed, the stadium in Santagiulia will become the largest indoor arena in Italy.
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The governors discussed the NHL's international schedule in what Bettman called a “major” meeting, discussing issues such as hockey operations, an update on officiating, an update on safety and security, and the topic of facility standards.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said plans for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey are on track.
“We recently had constructive discussions with the IIHF. We hope that, in any case, we will finish by the end of the month,” he said.
Daly said the NHL has held workshops in Toronto and Zurich in recent weeks and has received a lot of interest from potential host cities.
“We're expecting 18 applications in North America, 10 applications in Europe, and we expect to be able to evaluate those applications late this year, early next year and make decisions in February,” Hugh said.
Between the Olympics, the upcoming World Cup and the annual Global Series, governors are constantly debating where the NHL should take its game next.
The fact that the NHL's best player and the NHL's best European player – Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl – have not played a single game outside of North America in their NHL careers seems like it should be corrected.
“It’s inevitable that this will happen at some point,” he said. Edmonton Oilers President Jeff Jackson. “But nothing is planned at the moment.”
When asked about this, Bettman replied: “I’m not ready to announce anything.”
“We're focused on what we can do more outside of North America to continue to grow the game around the world,” he said. “This has become increasingly important and a priority for us because we believe that we are the most international—especially in terms of player composition—of the four major sports in North America.”
No news is good news when it comes to salary expansion and capping.
Bettman said Wednesday that expansion had not even been discussed, despite reported interest from two groups in Atlanta and growing interest in returning to Phoenix.
“There is and continues to be interest in many places. But none of them have reached the level that we need to focus on at this stage,” he said.
Will this door open for the next meetings in December?
“We don't open the door. If someone knocks on the door, we'll see who's knocking and then decide what to do about it,” he said.
As for the salary cap, Bettman will not deviate from previously announced increases to $104 million next season and $113.5 million in 2027-28.
“No changes. This is what we already agreed on.”
