The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation said parts of the main ice hockey rink for the Cortina Olympics in Milan may not be fully completed in time, but the playing area, practice areas and locker rooms will be ready when the puck drops for the men's competition on February 11.
“We can be confident about that,” IIHF President Luc Tardif told reporters Monday at the World Junior Championships. “You don’t go to Milan just like that.”
Tardif added that the main arena will not be “exactly” what he expected in terms of capacity, with the capacity being 11,800.
“It’s a little short,” he said, according to the Canadian Press. “But it will be a good setup for Olympic Games“
Construction delays and other concerns about the Santagiulia hockey arena and the secondary Rho facility have been making headlines for weeks. NHL returning to the Winter Games for the first time since 2014 and opening the women's tournament on February 5th.
The NHL expressed concerns about the construction as well as the quality of the ice surface. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said last month in Winnipeg that the league would not send its players back if there were any safety issues on the ice.
The league is sending its own experts to Italy to ensure the safety of the ice. The facility has rinks that are smaller than NHL standards but still meet IIHF standards.
Tardif noted that the IIHF does not control construction – that is up to the International Olympic Committee and local organizers – and can only do so much in terms of timing.
Tardif said he will travel to Italy later this week with league and NHL Players Association officials for testing events at the stadium.
“I am confident in the quality of the infrastructure,” he said. “We'd like to sleep a lot better… I think we'll have some good competition, but maybe you can ask me a question after (this week).”
The NHL was caught off guard when it became apparent that the two rinks would be slightly wider and three feet shorter than what the league and the International Ice Hockey Federation had agreed upon. Daly said the league and NHLPA have reminded the IIHF that they expect the ice surface at the 2030 Olympics in France to be NHL standard size.
