Milan Hockey Venue Delays Could Force NHL Players on Unproven Playing Surface
Forget about poor conditions. Currently, there’s no ice.
With NHL players gearing up to make a comeback to the Olympics for the initial occasion in over a decade, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.
Local organizers announced on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.
This situation raises the prospect that there may not be a game held in the primary venue until the puck is dropped for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.
“The timeline will be extremely tight to the beginning of the games, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milano Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea Varnier said in a recent update.
The competition that was intended to test the Santagiulia ice was a segment of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will stage lesser games during the Olympics.
Usually, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the year before to holding medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and making sure that the rink is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, bathrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new modern arena.
The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become Italy’s biggest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis tournament.
Despite the delays and worries, expensive passes are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the final day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.
The comeback of NHL players at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the world’s top hockey organization allowing its players to compete in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.
The men’s Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament occurs from 5-19 February.
