June 24, 2019. That’s the date the IOC (International Olympic Committee) awarded Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo the honor of hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics, narrowly edging out Stockholm’s bid.
February 12, 2025. That’s when Gary Bettman, after discussions with the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) and NHLPA (National Hockey League Players Association), announced that NHL players would return to the Winter Olympics for the first time since Sochi 2014.
Both dates now live in infamy given what’s unfolding in Milan
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported that Peter DeBoer, during an appearance on Sportsnet’s Real Kyper and Bourne show, revealed he had visited the Milan rink and raised concerns: the ice surface is smaller than NHL standards by about three to four feet.
The rink dimensions were negotiated and agreed upon by the NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF (yes, too many acronyms for one sentence—but accountability matters). For the architects at home: the NHL standard is 200 ft by 85.3 ft. Milan’s rink? 196.85 ft by 85.3 ft.
The NHL insists this won’t be a problem. But saying something isn’t a problem doesn’t magically make it true. Safety and quality of play are legitimate concerns. Imagine your $10‑million‑a‑year franchise cornerstone suffering a season‑ending injury while chasing Olympic gold on foreign ice.
The obvious risks: tighter spacing, more collisions, and intensified board play. In plain terms: less time and space to make plays—and less time to avoid hits. This isn’t rocket science. Players will have fewer seconds to react to head‑on collisions with the best in the world, all desperate to win gold.
How did this happen, and why was it allowed to get this far?
The NHL isn’t just sending its best players—it’s sending its most valuable assets. They should be protected at all costs. A red flag should have been raised long before two months out from the Games. In my view, this is on the NHL too. They should have demanded regular progress reports from Milan, monthly at minimum. This is a glaring lack of accountability and follow‑up.
I don’t want to be a total Debbie Downer. Whatever the rink dimensions, we’re still getting enthralling international hockey. I’ll be locked into the quirky start times from Italy, and the players? They couldn’t care less about the sheet of ice. They just want to play — and after more than a decade of lobbying, the NHLPA finally got its Olympic wish