The Santagiuliana Ice Hockey Arena, with a capacity of 14.000 spectators, is the heart of the Olympic ice hockey tournament.

Dispute over ice hockey arenas: Milan-Cortina rejects criticism

Is the dispute over the Olympic arenas for the ice hockey competitions finally coming to an end? After repeated complaints from the NHL in recent weeks, Milan-Cortina has now issued an official statement on the matter.

09 December 2025

From: cst

Will the ice hockey rinks at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina be too small and the stadiums unfinished? Yes, according to the NHL and other critics from North America. In recent weeks, many voices have been raised critically about the Olympic ice hockey tournament. There was even talk of a boycott by NHL stars (the world's best ice hockey league is taking a break this year during the Olympics).

The organizers were not about to let these accusations stand. "The IIHF confirms that the ice surface at the Olympic Games measures 60 x 26 meters," reads a press release. While these dimensions are slightly different from those used in the NHL (60,96 x 25,91 meters; editor's note), they are exactly the same size as at the last Olympic Games in Beijing. The minimal discrepancies are irrelevant in terms of safety and the quality of the games, according to the organizing committee. "We look forward to welcoming the best players in the world," the statement concludes.

The NHL was allowed to test the ice in advance. Furthermore, NHL executives sounded somewhat more optimistic after the announcement, emphasizing that there was "no alternative to holding the Olympic Games." However, they did not want to put their players at risk.

Criticism from North America regarding the gaming arenas

Regarding the criticism of the completion of the venues in Milan, there was no explicit statement.

The arena is expected to shine in this splendor during the games – at least according to an official rendering.

However, at the beginning of January, both Coppa Italia and Scudetto in the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena The tournament was held in the Lombardy metropolis – likely also a sign from the FISG that one of the Olympic stadiums (there is another one) is not in as bad a condition as reported from North America. After all, no one can afford to play two prestigious Italian ice hockey cups in a half-finished stadium just a month before the start of the Olympic Games.