NHL deputy commissioner doubles down on Olympic concerns, says players 'won't go' if ice is deemed unsafe

NHL lawman commissioner Bill Daly has doubled down connected warnings astir the league’s information successful the upcoming Winter Olympics, saying Monday that NHL players volition not question to Italy if the rink being built successful Milan is deemed unsafe. 

Concerns astir the size and operation docket of the superior rink person surfaced successful the weeks starring up to the 2026 Games. Last week, Daly told DailyFaceoff’s Matt Larkin that, "If there’s nary rink completed, there’s nary NHL players going to the Olympics."

Bill Daly, NHL lawman commissioner, speaks astatine an NHLPA and NHL associated media availability astatine Peacock Theater successful Los Angeles, California, connected June 27, 2025. (Brian Babineau/NHL via Getty Images)

But speaking astatine the NHL Board of Governors gathering connected Monday, Daly clarified that helium didn’t judge the operation concerns were "insurmountable." He did, however, enactment that information concerns were different story. 

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"We person offered and they're utilizing our crystal experts and technicians and extracurricular providers," Daly said, via ESPN. "We're fundamentally moving everybody determination to effort to assistance get this done successful a mode that's acceptable for NHL athletes. And I'm cautiously optimistic it volition beryllium fruitful."

But Daly added, if the players deem the prime of the crystal unsafe, "then we're not going to play."

NHL players’ instrumentality to the Olympics aft much than a decade-long lack rests wholly connected organizers’ quality to get the venue built successful clip – and safely – for the men’s competition, which runs from Feb. 11– 22. 

Local organizers told The Associated Press successful October that the main trial lawsuit scheduled successful December for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena was pushed to a smaller arena and completion of the main arena volition travel down to the wire. 

Construction continues astatine the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena for the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics successful Milan, Italy, connected Jan. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

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But conscionable past week, main Games operations serviceman for Milan Cortina Andrea Francisi told the AP that "there is nary program B" and caller trial events are scheduled until the 2nd week of January. 

The rink itself volition besides beryllium smaller than a modular NHL rink by much than 3 feet, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirmed Monday.

"While these dimensions disagree somewhat from a emblematic NHL rink, they are accordant with IIHF regulations, lucifer the rink size utilized astatine the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are afloat accordant with the dimensions the NHL requires arsenic portion of its Global Series Game arena specifications," the federation said. "All involved, the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, NHL, NHLPA, IOC and the applicable venue authorities hold that the differences successful rink specifications are insignificant, and should not interaction either the information oregon prime of crippled play."

Team USA guardant Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates with his teammates his extremity against Team Finland successful the 3rd play during a 4 Nations Face-Off crystal hockey crippled astatine Bell Centre.  (David Kirouac/Imagn Images)

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The play volition beryllium connected intermission during the Olympics. If the rink doesn’t conscionable the NHL’s standards, Daly said Monday that a backup program was successful place. 

"Well, I can't archer you precisely what we do," helium said. "What I'd accidental is, I deliberation successful emergency-type situations similar that successful the past, I deliberation we've responded appropriately, came up with bully solutions and I person nary uncertainty that we'll beryllium capable to travel up with bully solutions if we're faced with that."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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