{"id":312714,"date":"2025-11-25T12:18:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T12:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/312714\/"},"modified":"2025-11-25T12:18:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T12:18:10","slug":"milan-olympic-hockey-arena-may-not-be-ready-in-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/312714\/","title":{"rendered":"Milan Olympic hockey arena may not be ready in time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cEven though the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation are responsible and have said we have nothing to worry about, we will send our own people to look at it ourselves, because the safety of the players in this tournament is the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NHL, back in the Games for the first time since 2014, will rely on faith that the millions of dollars\u2019 worth of product \u2014 dozens of star players \u2014 will return for the playoff chase unharmed by the playing surface.<\/p>\n

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The rink was to be completed in December, according to The Architect\u2019s Newspaper<\/a>. Bettman said he would have preferred to begin testing the venue a year in advance.<\/p>\n

\"AnAn outside view of the Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena in Milan in October.Luca Bruno\/Associated Press<\/p>\n

The foundation was poured in 2023 \u2014 on time, the Italian firm Trevi proudly stated of its work<\/a> \u2014 and the building, designed by Arup and David Chipperfield Architects Berlin, will reportedly echo the elliptical form<\/a> of Milan\u2019s old Roman amphitheater.<\/p>\n

The ETERIA Consortium, a partnership of the Caltagirone and Gavio families, is the general contractor<\/a>. The company said one of its purposes<\/a> is to lead an \u201cinfrastructural revitalization\u201d of Italy.<\/p>\n

Olympic Games executive director Christophe Dubi said in a statement to Architect\u2019s Newspaper that the 16,000-seat, multi-use venue is a necessary community asset.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no such arena in Milan. In fact, there aren\u2019t many in Italy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Bettman\u2019s concern may have lessened after his deputies\u2019 visit last week, but how much is unclear.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s still a lot of concern about the status of the arena in Milan,\u201d TSN reporter Chris Johnston said Wednesday in a video segment on that network. \u201cNHL officials are there on the ground now, and some of the initial reports back have been encouraging.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a good thing, because I am told there was literally no Plan B here. It is Milan or bust for this Olympic Games, and obviously there is a high level of concern from the NHL about where this arena is at, the fact that it\u2019s still not yet finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

A suggestion that the hockey tournament could be moved to an alternate location \u2014 such as Switzerland, which regularly hosts major international hockey games \u2014 was shot down, Johnston reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a meeting last week in Stockholm [ahead of the NHL Global Series] that included members from the [IOC] and NHL,\u201d Johnston said. \u201cIt was made clear that the Olympic tournament has to happen at the Olympic venue, so they need to get that arena finished.\u201d<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s tournament begins Feb. 5. The men drop the puck on Feb. 11. The deadline for all countries to submit their Olympic rosters is Dec. 31. <\/p>\n

Matt Porter can be reached at matthew.porter@globe.com<\/a>. Follow him @mattyports<\/a>.<\/p>\n