Milan Hockey Venue Setbacks Could Force NHL Players on Untested Playing Surface
Forget about poor conditions. For now, the surface isn't ready.
With NHL athletes gearing up to return to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a decade, building work on the primary hockey arena for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.
Officials confirmed on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a more compact venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.
This situation 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 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. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated recently.
The event that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia ice was part of the under-20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fair hockey venue, which is being set up inside a massive convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will host secondary matches during the games.
Typically, new Olympic venues are trialled at least the year before to hosting medal events. And with a sizable hockey venue, it’s not just about the ice and ensuring that the playing surface is prepared and secure. It’s additionally about checking concession stands, restrooms and all other amenities inside a brand-new contemporary arena.
The Santagiulia venue, which is being built by a private company, is scheduled to become the nation's largest covered stadium. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a potential upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis event.
In spite of the postponements and worries, expensive passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the closing day of the Olympics – are priced at as much as €1,400 (over $1,600). This exceeds for any other athletic competition at the Milan-Cortina Games. Solely passes for the inaugural and final events cost more.
The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was revealed in February of last year, with the premier hockey league allowing its players to compete in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.
Men's Olympic hockey competition is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament runs from 5-19 February.
