Milan Hockey Venue Delays Could Leave NHL Players on Untested Playing Surface

Forget about poor conditions. For now, there’s no ice.

As NHL athletes preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a decade, construction on the main hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the main test event for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller venue – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a game held in the main arena until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.

“It’s going to be extremely tight to the beginning of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. However, we were aware,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The competition that was supposed to test the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been moved to the Rho Fair hockey venue, which is being established inside a massive exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will stage secondary matches during the Olympics.

Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the year before to holding medal events. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not just about the ice and making sure that the playing surface is ready and secure. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, bathrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is slated to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being eyed as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.

Despite the postponements and worries, high-priced passes are already being sold for matches 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 (over $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The return 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 Olympics for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.

Men's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament occurs from 5-19 February.