NHL Ties 2026 Olympic Participation to Milan Arena Safety

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly stated Monday that the league's players will participate in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics only if the ice surface at the new Santagiulia Arena in Milan proves safe, amid ongoing construction delays and questions about the rink's dimensions.

The men's Olympic hockey tournament is scheduled to begin February 11, with the Games running from February 6 to 22. Construction on the Santagiulia Arena, which will host preliminary and knockout rounds, has fallen behind schedule. Organizers now expect completion by February 2, leaving just nine days before the tournament starts. A planned test event in early December was postponed to January 9 through 11, when the arena will host seven Italian league and cup games to assess readiness.

Daly, speaking to reporters in Colorado, emphasized player safety as the top priority. "If the ice is unplayable, the ice is unplayable," he said. "Obviously, if the players feel the ice is unsafe, we're not going to play. It's as simple as that." He described himself as cautiously optimistic about resolution, noting that the NHL has increased its involvement by sending ice experts and technicians to assist Italian...