When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, said that the entire saga around the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena was “disappointing,” concerns arose about NHL participation at the Milano-Cortina Olympics. At the time, the event was still more than a month away, but now with mere weeks to go things have become even more complicated for the globe’s biggest sporting event.

Despite all the controversies, the president of the IIHF, Luc Tardif, stepped forward with a bold statement, and Chris Johnston shared it on his X post: “There is no reason that the NHL will not come.” So, the main question was, will the NHL stars, returning to the Olympic Games for the first time in twelve years, actually show up?

A month ago, in December 2025, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly made a lot of things clear surrounding the Milano Cortina Olympics, saying, “I think the IIHF was under the impression they had a different interpretation of what NHL ice meant than we would have. Even on the site visits, I’m not sure it was anything that was perceptible to anybody. It’s not like people bring tape measures there. So, for whatever reason, it came back the way it came back.”

This statement was directed towards the arena’s dimensions: 196.85 feet in length and 85.3 feet in width. However, a standard NHL rink measures 200 feet in length and 85 feet in width. This concern came up, as it was all about the player’s safety. And the NHL isn’t going to take any risk with their star players.

Furthermore, the NHL needed to send its own technicians to Milan, as Daly said, “We’re basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that’s acceptable for NHL athletes. And I’m cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful.” Despite all the help that the NHL was able to provide for the Milano Cortina Olympics, major issues are still emerging, and the fans are just in disbelief after what the IIHF president said about the NHL players.

Even fans themselves are unsure about the Milano-Cortina Olympics

The social media’s reaction to IIHF President Luc Tardif’s confident statement regarding the NHL players garnered nothing but more skepticism. “Maybe being totally unprepared to host the event? Just a thought,” a fan offered a question with pure sarcasm. Similarly, another comment pointed out how Tardif’s confidence might just be a mask to hide the frustration, as it read, “I fear if there was no reason the NHL wouldn’t come then he wouldn’t need to come out and say that.”

However, this fan just gave a straightforward message, saying, “It’s absurd that they still aren’t 100% ready. You’ve known for like ten years these Olympics were coming.” Well, the women’s hockey event at the Milano Cortina Olympics will start on February 5. But recently, at the first-ever test at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, Chris Johnston reported that the rink had “a giant hole in the ice.”

The Coppa Italia semifinals became the event to carry the first Olympic test, and the match was between the Kaltern Caldaro Rothoblaas and HCMV Varese Hockey. But the moment the hole was seen on the rink, the game was paused.

Top Stories

Jerry Jones Announces Retirement Plans as Dallas Cowboys Owner Makes Triple Decision on Coaching Hiring

Calls Mount for Investigation Against C.J. Stroud After Texans QB’s 5 Fumbles Against Steelers

Mike Tomlin Receives New Job Offer as Steelers Make Final Decision on Firing HC After Aaron Rodgers’ Fury – Report

Sean McDermott Announces Concerning Josh Allen News as Bills HC Confirms Double Setback Before Broncos Game

Jordan Spieth Intervenes as Brooks Koepka Upsets PGA Tour Pros With ‘Return’ Announcement

“Rest in Peace, My Champ”: Evander Holyfield Joins Boxing World in Mourning Sugar Ray Leonard’s Personal Loss

And players like Florian Wieser had to further clarify the condition of the venue, saying, “Clarification about the ice conditions at Santa Giulia Arena: Was the ice perfect? No, it was on the softer side and the small hole was of course a bad look. But we expected much worse and the ice didn’t affect the game negatively.”

Among the frustrated fans, this comment read, “The fact that this is even a story does not bode well for the tournament. Makes you wonder about the rest of the facilities…” Another fan wrote, “If only there was a country that had an existing infrastructure specifically designed for sporting events.” But you know, there were more problems in the arena.

The staff ran out of time, so the Olympic venue, which could’ve hosted 14,000, was just able to host 11,800 individuals. Furthermore, there was unpainted drywall, unfinished concrete floors, and holes in the exterior of the building. This also made it difficult to maintain the optimal internal temperature inside the arena. So, with just a few weeks ahead, only time will tell if the staff will manage to perfect the venue’s condition.