NHL deputy commissioner warns players may skip 2026 Olympics amid construction concerns

The long-awaited instrumentality of NHL players to the Winter Olympics could beryllium prolonged owed to concerns regarding the operation of the main crystal hockey arena for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games. 

NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin that 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 for the men’s competition, which runs from Feb. 11– 22. 

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

"Depends connected the percent you privation to spot connected the anticipation the rink doesn’t get completed," Daly said. "If there’s nary rink completed, there’s nary NHL players going to the Olympics."

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Daly’s menace comes amid existent interest implicit the delays successful the operation of the main arena.

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)

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. 

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"So needfully we person to beryllium capable to signifier the contention successful an impeccable mode astatine Santagiulia," Francisi added. 

The archetypal crippled scheduled astatine the arena is simply a women’s preliminary circular lucifer connected Feb. 5, the time earlier the opening ceremony. Olympic venues, however, are typically tested a twelvemonth earlier hosting events. 

Not lone are determination worries astir completion, but determination are besides concerns regarding the aboveground of the ice.

United States' Dylan Larkin, right, celebrates his extremity implicit Canada with teammate Matt Boldy during 4 Nations Face-Off enactment successful Montreal connected Feb. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)

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The Athletic archetypal reported that the approved expanse of crystal for Milan is astir 3 feet shorter than the NHL’s modular dimensions for a rink. While the NHL has nary power implicit the operation of the rink, the statement betwixt the league, the Players Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation states that the arena indispensable beryllium built to NHL standards. 

Sources told ESPN connected Wednesday that portion determination is nary denotation the league volition propulsion its players from the Games, determination are concerns astir the construction.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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