NHL Commissioner Bettman expressed concern about the quality of the 2026 Olympics rinks

The NHL leadership is concerned about the conditions in which the league’s star hockey players will play at the 2026 Olympic Games, ESPN reports.

According to the source, the construction of the main Olympic hockey arena “Santa Giulia” in Milan is being delayed. Test events that were scheduled for December have been postponed and may not take place at all. Thus, the quality of the Olympic ice at the new 16,000-seat stadium may not be checked until the start of official matches.

— Over the past two years, we have been concerned about the condition of both Olympic skating rinks, especially the main skating rink. However, this is the responsibility of the IOC. We are here as invited guests, but they know about our concerns.

We expect them to deliver on all their promises and create first-class infrastructure. If it gets to a certain point, we’ll have to deal with it. The IOC and IIHF constantly assure us that everything will be fine,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman was quoted as saying by ESPN.

According to the latest data, the Santa Giulia Arena will be commissioned just before the start of the Olympic Games, which will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy). The official opening of the Olympics will take place on February 6, but the hockey tournament starts a day earlier. On February 5, the women’s teams will play their first group stage matches.