Milan-Cortina Olympic Hockey Arenas Race Against Time, But Games Set to Proceed
In the bustling heart of Milan, workers clad in hard hats and vibrant orange vests were seen scurrying behind the scenes on Wednesday, putting the final touches on the freshly constructed main hockey arena for the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics. With less than 24 hours remaining before the doors swing open to eager fans, the concourse presented a scene of controlled chaos. Piles of broken-down Corona Zero boxes lay discarded outside concession stands, while a technician on a scissor lift diligently secured a pipe overhead, highlighting the frantic pace of last-minute preparations.
Secondary Rink: A Makeshift Marvel
Approximately 12 miles (19.31 kilometers) away, on the opposite side of Milan, the secondary rink stands as a testament to improvisation and engineering prowess. This temporary structure features a complex maze of supports that hold up provisional walkways, with large black curtains enveloping the rink and hanging at each entryway to provide essential insulation. Despite the unconventional setup, the venue is poised to host a significant portion of the Olympic hockey matches.
Construction Delays and Optimistic Outlook
The finishing touches are indeed being applied down to the wire, with a concerningly slow construction pace that has raised eyebrows. However, significant progress in recent weeks has ensured that the women's tournament will commence as scheduled on Thursday. Moreover, the men's tournament, which marks the highly anticipated return of NHL players to the Olympic stage for the first time since 2014, remains firmly on track.
Veronika Muehlhofer, the venue manager at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, expressed her admiration for the team's efforts. "For the whole team that’s been working on it — that’s built the venue — it’s amazing what everyone’s accomplished," she remarked. "We still have cleaning and things to perfect for the first game (Thursday), but these are my ninth Games, so you always come down to lots to do in the last few days. And then any time we drop the first puck, it’s like a big relief."
NHL Concerns and Last-Minute Challenges
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had begun voicing concerns about the arena's readiness as far back as 2023, even before the agreement was finalized to send players in 2026 and 2030. League and union officials attended recent test events, which ultimately fostered optimism about the project's timely completion for the men's tournament, set to begin next Wednesday.
"We’ve had to monitor it, and we’re constantly being assured that everything will be OK," Bettman told the Associated Press last week, reflecting a cautious yet hopeful stance.
How close did the arena come to not being ready? According to ice master Don Moffatt, as recently as January 25, less than 10 days ago, a layer of mud extended down the Zamboni tunnel all the way to the ice surface. "Mud where you couldn’t take one step off the field of play without stepping in mud and then bringing it back onto the surface," Moffatt described. "They were finishing temporary seats. They were cleaning the seats. They were pulling off all the plastic covers. I felt like I was in Arizona or Texas with a dust storm. ... There was definitely some doubt there."
Ice Preparation and Player Reactions
Moffatt and his crew finally managed to paint the ice on the night of January 26. For several days thereafter, he restricted access to the surface to allow it to settle properly in time for the first practices earlier this week. After personally skating on it to test its quality, Moffatt expressed satisfaction, noting, "It was solid and dense. It shows me that we made it the right way. We made it in slow, thin layers instead of just throwing a ton of water out there and let it freeze."
Players have shared mixed but generally accepting reviews of the ice conditions. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, captain of the France men's team, likened it to gliding on an indoor lake. Switzerland women's player Alina Muller described it as pretty good, if not pristine, adding, "I guess it’s a little softer than other ice surfaces, but that’s why we are here a little bit earlier. That’s why we practice here before we play. I think (it is) pretty good preparation in the PWHL playing in different venues."
Venue Differences and Adaptations
At the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, which will host six men's and 19 women's games, a similar level of pragmatic acceptance prevails regarding ice quality. U.S. women's captain Hilary Knight emphasized on Tuesday, "Ice is always going to be different wherever you travel. Understanding that the Olympics is a massive event that kind of pops up for a very finite amount of time, there’s going to different challenges you have to overcome, so whether the ice is perfect or not, we’re here, we’re ready to play."
Switzerland women's coach Colin Muller observed that practice sessions at Santagiulia proceed well for about 20 minutes before snow accumulation makes conditions tricky. "After 45 minutes, you’ve got to watch out if there’s a rut in the ice or something happens," he noted, acknowledging that women's players are less accustomed to multi-purpose venues compared to their male counterparts. "For us, it’s not normal. But I think for the NHL guys and stuff, they play on that kind of ice because they change it out for basketball. It’s probably what they’re used to."
Rink Dimensions and Gameplay Implications
All Olympic hockey games will be contested on rinks measuring 60 meters long by 26 meters wide, equivalent to 196.85-by-85.3 feet. This contrasts with standard NHL dimensions of 200-by-85 feet (60.96 by 25.91 meters), resulting in ice that is slightly wider and more than 3 feet shorter. While this reduction primarily affects the neutral zone, the attacking zones are intended to mirror NHL size, albeit with a subtly different shape.
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare remarked that the corners feel more like ovals, which could potentially enhance offensive play. "The game might be even more offensive because of the fact that it’s smaller," he speculated, suggesting an exciting twist for spectators.
Overall Sentiment and Readiness
Despite the ongoing off-ice finishing work, the overall sentiment among players and officials remains positive. Most NHL players are scheduled to arrive on Sunday, and initial impressions have been favorable. France men's player Yohann Auvitu candidly acknowledged the incomplete aspects, stating, "As you can see, it's not even finished," yet he downplayed minor inconveniences. "Locker rooms are fine — we have a little walk to get there. But those things don’t really matter. It’s nowhere perfect, so I am not expecting perfection here."
As the clock ticks down to the opening face-off, the Milan-Cortina Olympic hockey venues stand ready, embodying a blend of perseverance, adaptability, and the unwavering spirit of international competition.
