By Elvira Pollina
MILAN, Jan 11 (Reuters) – A new ice hockey arena set to stage top matches at the Winter Olympics received a positive review after test games over the weekend and is due to host the return of North America’s NHL stars to the Games after 12 years, the IOC and the International Ice Hockey Federation said on Sunday.
Slow progress and delays in the construction of the Santagiulia arena in Milan, in the southeast of the city, has emerged as one of the main headaches in the run-up to the Olympics, co-hosted by Milan and the Alpine resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo from February 6 to February 22.
“We still have two games to go. But so far, so good,” Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games Executive Director said at a press briefing when asked about the review of the venue, held less than a month before the Olympics.
“This looks fantastic. The last time I came was before Christmas, and this is radically different,” he added, noting much progress had been made in recent weeks.
The IOC said initial feedback from an NHL delegation, which had raised concerns about the venue in December, including on the quality of the ice, was good.
“We have a meeting and a tour with them later but so far what we’ve heard is very positive,” said Dubi.
IIHF President Luc Tardif echoed his words and added: “There is no reason that NHL will not come. Yesterday was a good test… the puck was sliding and there was no bumping.”
SOME AREAS STILL TO BE FINISHED
The arena, which will have a capacity of 15,300 spectators, hosted 4,000 fans per match over the weekend, when testing was carried out by hosting the Final Four event of Italy’s Championship and the 2025/2026 Italian Cup.
Organisers dismissed concerns after a brief delay to the action on Friday night during the inaugural match when a small hole close to one of the goals had to be repaired.
“That was the first time the ice had been used at all, and so our ice master was expecting much more of this potentially happening and then after that, it didn’t happen at all, including yesterday with three matches in a row,” said Andrea Varnier, CEO of local organisers Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026.
Construction work is still going on inside the venue, with hospitality areas and locker rooms yet to be completed. The media section has also been set up on a temporary basis.
Varnier said some behind-the-scene parts of the arena and some of the surroundings might not be fully completed on time.
“But what is fundamental for the success of the games, which is, first of all, the field of play, the hospitality areas, the arena inside, and most of the features outside will be finished,” he said.
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina in Milan, additonal reporting by Keith Weir, editing by Giulia Segreti and Clare Fallon)
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