Italy's ice hockey capital after the games without a stadium

Ice hockey has a long and distinguished tradition in Milan. The Lombard metropolis can certainly be called the ice hockey capital of Italy. After all, 32 "Scudetti" (Italian ice hockey titles) have gone to Milan in the past 101 years. Between 1925 and 1960 alone, HC Milan and the Diavoli Rossoneri Milano together won 23 Italian championships. Nine more followed. The last one, however, was 20 years ago. Despite all this success, Milan has no permanent ice hockey arena, even though games are currently played in two different venues.

However, neither the "Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena," built specifically for the Olympic Games and still not quite finished, in the southeast of the city, will be a permanent ice hockey stadium after the final this Sunday, but rather a multifunctional sports and events hall. The same applies to the "Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena" located in the northwest of the city, which was temporarily erected in two huge but uncomfortable halls (Padiglioni 22 and 24) on the "Fiera Milano" grounds.

The Milanese are proud The Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena made headlines leading up to its opening. Completing this temporary ice hockey arena was a race against time. In the end, it was finished right on schedule. The main structures were completed on February 5th for the opening game between the women's teams of Italy and France, and work on the details continued feverishly even after that.

Top-level hockey is currently being played at the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. © ANSA / SALVATORE DI NOLFI

Just four weeks earlier, the Italian championship and cup titles had been awarded here at the Olympic test event. In mid-January, visitors to the "Milano Hockey Finals" had to go outside to the large piazza in front of the stadium during intermissions to buy their hamburgers, pizzas, and drinks, as the concession stands inside were not yet finished. Empty brackets for the information monitors were visible on the walls, and cables hung from the ceilings in many places. Excavators stood in front of the arena, construction fences obscured the view of unfinished exterior areas, and the parking garage was also not yet open. This garage has since been completed but cannot be used because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has raised security concerns. Due to the construction delays, only about 11.500 spectator seats are currently available instead of the planned 14.000.

The people of Milan are nonetheless proud of the elegant, ultramodern building designed by the renowned British architect David Chipperfield. With its elliptical shape, the arena is meant to evoke an ancient Roman amphitheater; its exterior is enclosed by three rings that appear to float above one another, lending it a unique dynamism. The new arena is the centerpiece of a major development project and is intended to become the landmark of a residential, commercial, and office complex interspersed with green spaces and designed with sustainability in mind.

Both arenas are an hour and a half apart Because a total of 58 matches are played within 18 days, and training sessions take place daily, a second arena is always needed in addition to the main stadium for major events. This is located at the Fiera Milano exhibition center in Rho, just outside the city. The two arenas are an hour and a half apart by public transport: 30 minutes by tram, 30 minutes by metro, and 30 minutes on foot. It takes 30 minutes by car. Fiera Milano opened in 2005 and is one of the world's largest exhibition centers, covering an area of approximately two million square meters. Expo 2015 was held at Fiera Milano. Designed by Massimiliano Fuksas, the complex impresses not only with its size but also with its spectacular, kilometer-long glass and steel roof.

Because the two arenas will only be covered in ice for a few more days before hosting concerts and sporting events or reverting to trade fair use, Milan is currently without an ice hockey stadium. Many will still fondly remember the Agora stadium, where HC Milan fought countless battles and won its last five championships. This stadium was closed three years ago and occupied by illegal immigrants. After two fires last year, it resembles a ruin. There are plans to renovate and reopen it, but this will take several years, leaving Milanese fans with no other option than to reminisce about the past or recall the high-caliber games played in the temporary arenas.

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Italy's ice hockey capital after the games without a stadium

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