NHL players will not compete in Olympics if ice deemed unsafe

If NHL players feel the quality of the ice at the upcoming Olympics in Milan isn’t safe, “then we’re not going to play,” NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said.

As NHL players prepare to return to the Olympics for the first time since 2014, two issues have arisen around the Santagiulia Arena in Milan, where both men’s and women’s hockey is set to take place: the size of the surface rink and the quality of the ice.

According to The Athletic, the 60-meter by 26-meter surface in Milan, approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation, is more than three feet shorter than the 200-foot length required in the NHL.