The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena has passed its baptism of fire. © FISG

Three takeaways from the Milano Hockey Finals

The much-criticized Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan, host of the 2026 Olympic Games, has passed its baptism of fire. What are the key takeaways from the long ice hockey weekend in the northern Italian fashion capital?

12 January 2026

From: cst

First things first: Milan is an ice hockey city, as this weekend proved. Even though there isn't currently a professional club in the city, the world's fastest team sport holds a high status in Milan. This was demonstrated not only by the Lombardy ultras, who have remained active despite the absence of clubs, with their fan march. On the sporting front, Asiago (Scudetto) and Kaltern (Coppa Italia) took home the titles.

1. Spectators streamed into the stadium

Around 30.000 spectators flocked to the Santagiulia Ice Arena over the weekend. Prior to the event, there had been considerable doubt as to whether the stadium was suitable for a major event like the IHL Finals and the Coppa Italia. On Monday, the Italian Ice Sports Federation (FISG) gave a positive assessment. 22.500 tickets had been sold, in addition to approximately 8.000 free tickets, accreditations, and other visits. The IHL Final and the Coppa Italia Final on Sunday were sold out. While the arena may not be entirely finished (one section of the rink remained closed), it passed its first major test with flying colors.

2. Italian ice hockey is alive

In football-mad Italy, all other team sports struggle. With the exception of volleyball, which has established itself alongside football in recent years, there is often little interest from spectators. However, the ice hockey weekend in Milan proved otherwise. Fans didn't miss the games, and Italy's biggest TV stations broadcast the matches live. The official social media accounts recorded record views.

Historic Milanese ultra groups joined forces over the weekend to form the "CdM" (Curva di Milano).

“These three days have shown how much passion there is for ice hockey in Italy,” rejoiced FISG President Andrea Gios, and announced at the same time: “We will work intensively to solve the problem that there is no adequate club in the Lombardy capital.” There had already been rumors recently that Milan was aiming to join the ICE Hockey League.

3. Prepared for the Olympics

Not everything was perfect in Milan. A hole appeared in the ice during the very first match, which fueled the criticism. After that, however, the games ran smoothly. The ice (another point of criticism, especially from North America) performed well. "There are still a few details to finalize, but the smooth running of the Milan Hockey Finals was the best possible appetizer for the Olympic Games," Gios concluded with satisfaction.