Serious trouble in Milan as NHL now threatens to pull out of Olympics

Concerns continue to mount around the main hockey venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, as construction issues and logistical delays have caught the attention of NHL leadership. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the league remains committed to sending players overseas but is closely tracking the situation, especially amid reports that the new Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is roughly three feet too short based on required Olympic dimensions.

The arena is still under construction, with crews racing to finish the 16,000-seat facility in time for February. Milan won its Olympic bid back in 2019, yet construction didn’t begin until 2023, leaving organizers now scrambling to meet deadlines. The delays have already pushed test events back, including a U-20 world championship tournament that had to be moved to the secondary venue, Rho Fiera Arena.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has openly voiced concern in recent interviews, noting that while the league receives “constant reassurances” from the IOC and IIHF that the rink will be ready, the lack of visible progress is hard to ignore. And now, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has put the situation in stark terms.

Asked about the real percentage chance NHL players might not attend the Olympics by Matt Larkin on Wednesday, Daly responded:

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

It’s a blunt and telling statement, one that underscores just how tenuous the current timeline is. The NHL has no control over construction and is forced to rely on updates from Olympic authorities while watching the calendar shrink by the week.

This matters even more because the 2026 Games would mark the NHL’s first Olympic participation since 2014. With testing now delayed until January and major structural work still unfinished, both the NHL and NHLPA are monitoring developments closely.

While the league insists the rink-size issue is not a safety concern, the broader logistical challenges paint a worrying picture. Unless significant progress happens fast, Milan’s flagship arena could become the biggest wildcard of the 2026 Winter Olympics.