Milan Ice Hockey Venue Setbacks Could Leave NHL Players on Unproven Playing Surface
Forget about poor conditions. Currently, there’s no ice.
With NHL players gearing up to return to the Olympics for the initial occasion in more than a decade, construction on the primary hockey venue for the Milan-Cortina Games is going down to the wire.
Officials announced on Wednesday that the main trial competition for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia facility that was scheduled for December has been relocated to a smaller venue – and that no additional trial has been scheduled yet.
This situation creates the possibility that there may not be a game held in the primary venue until the competition begins for the women's initial games at the Olympics on 5 February – one day before the opening ceremony.
“The timeline will be very close to the beginning of the games, 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 a segment of the U20 world championship from 8-14 December. That event has been transferred to the Rho Fiera hockey venue, which is being established inside a massive exhibition hall on Milan’s outskirts and will stage lesser games during the games.
Usually, freshly built Olympic facilities are trialled at least the year before to holding podium competitions. And with a sizable hockey arena, it’s not only about the ice and making sure that the rink is prepared and safe. It’s additionally about testing concession stands, restrooms and everything else inside a brand-new modern stadium.
The Santagiulia venue, which is being constructed by a commercial firm, is slated to become the nation's biggest indoor arena. Following the Olympics, it’s being considered as a possible future host of the ATP Finals tennis tournament.
In spite of the delays and concerns, expensive passes are already being purchased for events at the Santagiulia arena. Seats for the men's championship game on 22 February – the final day of the games – are priced at as much as €1,400 (more than $1,600). That’s more than the price of any other sports event at the Milano Cortina Games. Only passes for the opening and closing ceremonies cost more.
The return of NHL players 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 competition is set to run from 11-22 February. The women’s tournament runs from 5-19 February.
