01/06/26 11:18:00
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01/06 10:39 CST IIHF president on Olympic arena delays: ?We're going to have a
tournament'
IIHF president on Olympic arena delays: ?We're going to have a tournament'
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) --- The head of the International Ice Hockey Federation
said parts of the main hockey rink 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 puck drops for the men's event 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."
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. 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 noted the IIHF isn't overseeing construction --- that's up to the
International Olympic Committee and local organizing officials --- and can do
only so much in terms of the timeline.
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)."
The NHL was caught off guard when it became apparent the two rinks' dimensions
will be slightly wider and 3 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.
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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
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