WINNIPEG, Manitoba — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Wednesday expressed concern about the construction delays regarding the hockey rink for the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The slow construction of the main rink is “disappointing,” he said at the Winnipeg Jets’ facility.
“I’m not trying to pile on on this, in all of the prior Olympics, whether they built permanent or temporary facilities, it’s never been this late for a completion in the building of ice, and so that’s why we are cautious,” Bettman said.
The NHL has previously expressed concern about the quality of the ice surface. The league is sending its own experts to Italy to ensure the ice is safe.
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NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has said the completion date of the main rink is set for Feb. 2. The women’s tournament is scheduled to start Feb. 5 and the men’s hockey competition is scheduled Feb. 11-22.
The facility features rinks smaller than NHL standards but still within the International Ice Hockey Federation’s standards.
Daly previously said there’s nothing the NHL or organizers can do about the dimensions of the 16,000-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and secondary Rho facility.
The NHL was caught off guard when it became apparent the two rinks’ dimensions will be slightly wider and 3 feet shorter than what the league and International Ice Hockey Federation agreed upon. Daly said the league and NHL Players’ Association have reminded the IIHF that they expect the ice surface to be standard NHL size at the 2030 Olympics in France.
