Milano Hockey Arena Delays Could Force NHL Players on Untested Ice
Forget about poor conditions. Currently, there’s no ice.
With NHL players preparing to make a comeback to the Olympic Games for the initial occasion in over a decade, building work on the main hockey venue for the Milano Cortina Games is cutting it close.
Officials announced on Wednesday that the primary trial competition for the 16,000-capacity Santagiulia arena that was scheduled for December has been moved to a more compact arena – and that no additional trial has been arranged yet.
The issue raises the prospect that there might not be a game held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women’s preliminary round at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the inaugural event.
“The timeline will be very close to the start of the Olympics, the schedule is very tight. But we knew that,” Milan-Cortina organizing body CEO Andrea Varnier stated in a recent update.
The competition that was supposed to evaluate the Santagiulia playing surface was part of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. This tournament has been transferred to the Rho Fair hockey location, which is being established inside a massive convention center on the outskirts of Milan and will stage secondary matches during the Olympics.
Typically, freshly built Olympic facilities are tested at least the prior year to hosting podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the playing surface and ensuring that the rink is ready and secure. It’s additionally about testing food outlets, restrooms and everything else inside a newly constructed modern arena.
This new facility, which is being constructed by a commercial firm, is scheduled to become the nation's largest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible upcoming venue of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.
Despite the delays and worries, high-priced tickets are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia venue. Seats for the men’s gold medal game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). This exceeds for any other athletic competition at the Milano Cortina Games. Only tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.
The comeback of NHL stars at the Olympics was revealed last February, with the world’s top hockey league permitting its players to compete in the Winter Games for the initial occasion since 2014 in Sochi.
Men's Olympic hockey tournament is set to take place from 11-22 February. Women's tournament runs from 5-19 February.