10/15/25 11:08:00
Printable Page
10/15 11:07 CDT NHL players may have to compete on untested ice due to
construction delays for Olympics in Milan
NHL players may have to compete on untested ice due to construction delays for
Olympics in Milan
By ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer
ROME (AP) --- Forget about thin ice. For now, there's no ice.
With NHL players preparing to return to the Olympics for the first time in more
than a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milan-Cortina
Games is going down to the wire.
Local organizers confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the main
test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for
December has been moved to a smaller arena --- and that no new test event has
been scheduled yet.
The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the main
arena until the puck is dropped for the women's preliminary round competition
at the Olympics on Feb. 5 --- one day before the opening ceremony.
"It's going to be very close to the start of the games, the timeline is very
tight. But we knew that," Milan-Cortina local organizing committee CEO Andrea
Varnier said recently.
The event that was supposed to test the Santagiulia ice was part of the
under-20 world championship from Dec. 8-14. That event has been moved to the
Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being set up inside a giant convention center
on Milan's outskirts and will host secondary matches during the games.
Usually, new Olympic venues are tested at least the year before hosting medal
events. And with a large hockey arena, it's not just about the ice and making
sure that the playing surface is ready and safe. It's also about testing
concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern
arena.
The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is slated to
become Italy's largest indoor arena. For after the Olympics, it's being eyed as
a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis event.
Despite the delays and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for
events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's gold medal game on Feb. 22
--- the closing day of the games --- are going for as much as 1,400 euros (more
than $1,600). That's more than for any other sports event at the Milan-Cortina
Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.
The return of NHL players at the Olympics was announced last February, with the
world's top hockey league allowing its players to participate in the Winter
Games for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.
The men's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to run from Feb. 11-22. The
women's tournament runs from Feb. 5-19.
___
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/winter-olympics
|
