The National Hockey League will inspect the condition of the arena in Milan. This stadium is set to host the Olympic Games next year. According to NHL representatives, the facility is still under construction. This was reported by The Athletic.
The league’s management decided to send its employees to Italy to assess the condition of the ice arena.
According to the deputy commissioner of the hockey league, Bill Daly, the situation is a cause for serious concern.
Hershey Bears head coach Derek King and NHL executive vice president Dean Matsuzaki are travelling to Milan to see for themselves how the stadium is being built. According to Daly, despite the fact that the league regularly receives reports on the construction process, its employees want to make sure that all work will be completed before the start of the competition.
‘We hope that we will soon have a better understanding of the situation,’ Daly said.
What is the reason for the inspection
Unfortunately, the NHL’s concerns are not unfounded. The fact is that in mid-October, the first test competition at the Milan ice arena was cancelled. It was scheduled for the beginning of winter. In its comment to The Athletic, the IOC noted that according to the plan, all work on the stadium should be completed by mid-December, and the first testing of the arena will take place in January. Thus, the International Olympic Committee will have a month before the start of the competition in the Italian city.
During this period, all shortcomings identified during the test competitions must be eliminated. By the start of the competition, the infrastructure must be of impeccable quality and meet Olympic standards.
The first hockey competition at the 2026 Olympics in Milan is scheduled for early February.
As a reminder, the Florida Panthers defended the Stanley Cup in the final against the Edmonton Oilers.
