Milan Hockey Arena Setbacks Could Leave NHL Stars on Untested Playing Surface

Put aside poor conditions. For now, the surface isn't ready.

With NHL athletes preparing to return to the Olympic Games for the first time in over a ten years, construction on the main hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is going down to the wire.

Local organizers confirmed on Wednesday that the primary test event for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a smaller arena – and that no new test event has been arranged yet.

The issue creates the possibility that there might not be a match held in the main arena until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – 24 hours before the inaugural event.

“The timeline will be very close to the start of the Olympics, the schedule is highly compressed. But we knew that,” Milano Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.

The event that was intended to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been moved to the Rho Fiera hockey location, which is being established inside a massive exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will host lesser games during the Olympics.

Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the year before to hosting podium competitions. And with a large hockey venue, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the playing surface is ready and secure. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new contemporary stadium.

The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a private company, is scheduled to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential future host of the ATP Tour Finals tennis event.

In spite of the postponements and concerns, high-priced tickets are already being sold for events at the Santagiulia arena. Tickets for the men’s gold medal final on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). That’s more than for any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.

The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the premier hockey organization allowing its athletes to compete in the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014 in Sochi.

The men’s Olympic hockey competition is scheduled to run from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament occurs from 5-19 February.