Huge update drops on Milan’s Olympic hockey arena

A major development has arrived on Friday late afternoon in the ongoing saga surrounding Milan’s troubled Olympic hockey venue. According to Nick Kypreos, the long-delayed Olympic Arena WILL be ready in time for the 2026 Winter Games—despite months of uncertainty and escalating concern from the NHL and international hockey officials.

Earlier this week, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) formally approved the use of a smaller ice surface for the men’s and women’s tournaments in Milan. Reports suggested the rink could end up three or four feet narrower than a standard NHL sheet, an unusual adjustment driven largely by construction setbacks.

Milan originally secured its Olympic bid in 2019, but construction on the main hockey venue didn’t begin until 2023. The delays have forced organizers into a frantic race against time, already pushing key test events off the calendar. A U-20 world championship tournament scheduled for the new arena had to be relocated to the secondary site, Rho Fiera Arena, due to incomplete work.

With the clock ticking, concerns have been growing at the league level. When asked Wednesday by Matt Larkin about the real percentage chance that NHL players might not attend the Games, NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly didn’t mince words.

“Depends on the percentage you want to place on the possibility the rink doesn’t get completed,” Daly said. “If there’s no rink completed, there’s no NHL players going to the Olympics.”

The 2026 Games are set to be historic for hockey, marking what would be the NHL’s first Olympic participation since 2014. For now, optimism has returned, but all eyes remain on Milan as the countdown continues.