Gary Bettman travels to Italy to address ice quality ahead of Olympics

Don't look now, but the 2026 Winter Olympics begin in less than three months time.

NHL players will compete in the Olympics for the first time in over a decade but there are real concerns from the league's brass that facilities won't be up to their standards. In particular, ESPN reports that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has serious concerns over the quality of ice at Santagiulia Arena, the still-under construction arena in Milan that is set to host the Games.

From ESPN:

"There's still work ongoing on the rinks and the ice conditions," confirmed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman at the NHL GM meetings on Tuesday. "It's something that we're monitoring closely, and we have absolutely no control over. This is all on the [International Olympic Committee] and the [International Ice Hockey Federation]."

Bettman said the league is getting "constant reassurances" from the IOC and IIHF that "everything will be fine" with the rinks by the time athletes arrive overseas. At this point, the main hockey rink -- Santagiulia Arena -- is still under construction. The venue was meant to undergo testing for Olympic events in December, with a U-20 world championship tournament. But that's now been moved to another rink -- the Rho Fiera -- that will host secondary hockey matches during the Games.

It's believed that Bettman and the NHL's brass will be visiting the arena in the lead-up to the Games, but the commissioner admitted that there's little he can do to improve the situation. "We're merely invited guests," Bettman reiterated to reporters today.