With the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan Cortina quickly approaching and concerns that the situation in the hockey arena could cause problems for the NHL and its willingness to send its players, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly offered an update on Monday. Daly suggested that the challenges are not impossible to overcome and still issued a warning with the update.
The timeline is razor thin for getting things done, as it seems like things will be ready just three days before the first official game.
Daly confirmed that the Olympic hockey rink is now scheduled for completion on February 2, with the first women’s tournament match scheduled for February 5. That’s an incredibly tight turnaround, bringing with it concerns associated with testing the facility, preparing the ice and ensuring player safety.
Still, Daly insists the NHL remains optimistic.
“It doesn’t seem to be anything insurmountable,” he said, noting that most of the messages he receives are positive rather than negative. He was also clear on one important point, and that is where the warning comes in. He said: “If players feel the ice is unsafe, we are not going to play.”
The size of the ice surface is much less of a concern than the ice quality. When things get this close, it’s even doubtful it’ll be ready for one game. If we take into account that as many as five games will take place on that ice surface in one day, even the best ice would have problems.
How big will the Olympic ice surface be?
The IIHF released a statement confirming that the rink will measure 60.0 m x 26.0 m (approximately 196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft.). That makes it slightly wider and about three feet shorter than standard NHL dimensions. The IIHF emphasized that the differences are “insignificant” and should not affect the safety or quality of the game.
Looking ahead, Daly noted that the ice for the 2030 Olympics will rival full NHL dimensions.
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