With less than two months until the opening ceremonies, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan are facing familiar last-minute challenges, most notably with the construction of the PalaItalia Santagiulia ice hockey arena. despite a flurry of activity with 580 workers on site, the arena is currently behind schedule and features a rink smaller than both NHL and international standards-a deviation that has raised concerns among players and coaches. The situation threatens to disrupt the highly anticipated return of NHL players to Olympic competition and underscores the ongoing pressure to deliver the Games on time.
The construction site of the PalaItalia Santagiulia ice hockey arena, which will host the hockey and para hockey competitions at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, in Milan, Italy, on Dec. 1.Claudia Greco/Reuters
Milan is facing a familiar Olympic challenge as the 2026 Winter Games approach: a race against the clock to complete the PalaItalia Santagiulia ice hockey arena. With less than two months until the opening ceremonies, construction continues at a frantic pace, echoing a long-standing Italian tradition of late finishes and all-out efforts before hosting the world.
On Sunday, a visit to the arena site revealed a flurry of activity, with construction machinery and materials surrounding the nearly completed three-tiered structure. According to arena manager CTS Eventim, 580 workers are currently on two shifts, aiming for completion by January – a month behind the original schedule.
The pressure is mounting, as there are currently no contingency plans in place should the arena not be ready in time. Adding to the concerns, a significant issue has emerged: the rink dimensions are smaller than both standard NHL and international ice hockey specifications.
The undersized rink is expected to create a unique, and potentially chaotic, playing environment, with players navigating a tighter space than they are accustomed to. It’s a situation that has raised eyebrows among players and coaches preparing for the Games.
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The first test event, crucial for verifying ice quality and functionality of arena systems, has been postponed until mid-January – just three weeks before the start of the Olympic hockey tournament on February 5. That opening day will feature a matchup between the Italian and French women’s teams, with Canada facing Finland in a separate game at the Milano Rho arena. The Canadian men will begin their Olympic campaign on February 12 against Czechia at Santagiulia.
Team Canada assistant coach Peter DeBoer recently voiced his concerns on Sportsnet, stating, “The ice surface, it looks like it’s going to be smaller than NHL rink standard by probably three or four feet.” He added, “I don’t know how that happened.”
The Athletic reported that the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has approved a rink measuring 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet in Milan, which is nearly a meter shorter than the NHL’s standard 200-foot by 85-foot dimensions.
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The NHL, making its return to the Olympics since 2014, had requested an NHL-sized rink. It remains unclear whether the IIHF or the Olympic organizing committee overruled the NHL’s request or simply miscalculated the dimensions.
In contrast to the current situation, the rink at the 2006 Turin Olympics, Italy’s previous hosting of the Winter Games, adhered to international standards, measuring 197 feet by 98.5 feet and providing ample space for play.
The Milano Rho arena, the second, smaller hockey venue for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, is getting a test run with the U-20 Ice Hockey World Championship taking place there. On its own, it couldn’t handle the scheduling of all of the Games’ hockey activity.Antonio Calanni/The Associated Press
Foundation Milano Cortina 2026, the games’ organizing committee, confirmed on Monday that the Santagiulia rink’s dimensions, as reported by The Athletic, are accurate – smaller than the standard NHL rink.
“While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications,” the committee said in a statement, adding that all relevant venue authorities, including the NHL, “agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant.”
The committee did not elaborate on the reasoning behind the smaller rink size.
Despite the concerns, no teams are currently threatening to boycott the Olympics due to the rink size, and officials have stated there are no apparent safety issues. The primary focus remains on completing the Santagiulia arena on time and ensuring the ice surface is of acceptable quality.
If the arena isn’t finished promptly, the Olympic hockey tournament faces significant challenges, and NHL player participation could be jeopardized. The smaller Rho arena, which will host some men’s games, cannot accommodate the full 18-day hockey schedule (the women’s gold medal game is scheduled for Feb. 19, and the men’s for Feb. 22, both at Santagiulia).
While some anxiety exists among coaches and players regarding the arena’s status, they can take heart from Italy’s history of delivering successful Olympic Games.
Ahead of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, similar stories of incomplete venues circulated. However, construction crews worked tirelessly, and the event sites were ultimately completed on time, with some even finished ahead of schedule.
Italians often say “Prima, il caffè” – First, the coffee – before beginning any task. That caffeine-fueled approach will undoubtedly be in full effect in the coming weeks as workers push to finalize the Santagiulia arena and prepare for the world’s best hockey players to take the ice.
