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<\/p>\nThe ice rink is in place and most of the seating, but there is still an abundance of plastic sheeting, while some areas such as the locker rooms are far from finished.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhat I see personally is an extraordinary seating bowl and this venue \u2026 looks fantastic,\u201d IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said Sunday. \u201cThe last time I came was before Christmas, and this is radically different. So, so much progress. Anyone involved here, hat off.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s only one way to go, and that is the view of the experts \u2026 and what they tell us, first class.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NHL has previously expressed concern<\/a> about ice quality due to construction delays with deputy commissioner Bill Daly saying the league would not send its players if there were any safety concerns.<\/p>\n The IOC shared some of those worries.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough we were facing a lot of difficulties, we always had a very strong plan,\u201d Dubi said. \u201cNow having a plan does not mean that you\u2019re going to get there, but there was so much oversight and so much expertise thrown at this venue with probably the best engineers, the best Ice Meister, everything that could be thrown at that venue was thrown.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, did I ever have doubts? No. Was I concerned? Certainly. Because if you were here six months ago it didn\u2019t look this way I can tell you. It\u2019s incredible what they\u2019ve done, really incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n Dubi was speaking on the final day of a long-awaited, three-day test event at the arena.<\/p>\n The original test event scheduled in December didn\u2019t happen because of the construction delays. The one scheduled this weekend \u2014 the final league and cup games of the domestic season \u2014 is less than a month out from the women\u2019s competition.<\/p>\n The NHL is expected to release a statement at the end of its visit to the new arena, with a delegation having spent time here over the past three days.<\/p>\n The International Ice Hockey Federation can see no barrier to the NHL returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014, especially after having simulated Olympic conditions at the test event with three matches a day on Saturday and Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know how it\u2019s difficult to have a high level of quality of ice for the third game of the third period. Yesterday that was a good test because that was fantastic, the puck was sliding, it was not bumping,\u201d IIHF President Luc Tardif said. \u201cSo we\u2019ll go back in Zurich happy and confident.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to make a report, but yesterday that was a test, so there is no reason that NHL will not come \u2026 We want to make sure about the quality of ice, the security for the players, doesn\u2019t matter where they come from. So now I can say we\u2019re ready for the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n The players themselves said they were happy with the quality of the ice.<\/p>\n Canadian James Livingston, who plays for the Wipptal Broncos, said he was sure his compatriots in the NHL would be fine.<\/p>\n \u201cI mean we all grew up playing on ponds back in Canada, so I\u2019m sure that whatever gets thrown at them, they\u2019re gonna adapt and they\u2019re gonna enjoy it,\u201d he told The Associated Press. \u201cAnd they are playing for their country. So, I think it will be a great competition.\u201d<\/p>\n The men\u2019s Olympic hockey tournament<\/a> is scheduled from Feb. 11-22, the women\u2019s from Feb. 5-19.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n