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Signs of progress for the Olympic rink weeks before Milan 2026, but the job isn't finished

Jan 9, 2026 (8:40 PM)

Photo credit: screenshot-@TheHockeyNews

Milan Olympic rink progress has Florida Panthers eyes on Milano Cortina 2026.

A Hockey News clip frames this weekend's Italian Cup semifinal as the first and final rehearsal for Milan's Olympic ice, and you can feel the clock ticking in every shot.

Reuters reports the Santagiulia arena has now opened for a test event, with about 4,000 fans in the building while crews still finish key spaces like hospitality areas.

The capacity talk has been a little messy, with Reuters pegging it at 15,300 while the official Milano Cortina venue page lists 16,000, but either way it's a proper big-game barn.

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Milan Olympic rink, Florida Panthers Olympic push

I'm not going to lie, as a Panthers fan I just want clean ice and boring logistics.

Florida has a real Olympic footprint this time, with Gustav Forsling for Sweden, Matthew Tkachuk and Seth Jones for the United States, Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand for Canada, and Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Niko Mikkola for Finland.

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Forsling's game should pop on bigger ice, because he closes gaps early and moves pucks north without extra touches, which is exactly how you avoid long defensive shifts.

Finland's Panthers trio is a matchup coach's dream, and it's especially timely because Aleksander Barkov was left off Finland's roster after being ruled out for the season.

Canada's Panthers duo brings two very different headaches, Reinhart lives around the slot and Marchand drags you into the ugly areas, and Florida's own preview had Marchand at 46 points with 23 goals.

On the U.S. side, Jones is the one I'm watching closest, because he was labeled week-to-week Monday, yet Florida expects him back before the Olympic break after posting 24 points in 40 games and averaging 23:29.

Uvis Balinskis making Latvia is also cool for the room, and if Milan's rink plays fast, that underdog style can hang around longer than people expect.

If this test weekend is the final dress rehearsal, then the next milestone is simple: finish the building details, keep the ice consistent, and let the Panthers' Olympic guys focus on hockey.