NHL player participation in the Olympics might be compromised

The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, centerpiece of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, will not have ice installed until January. That pushes the first test event to January 9, leaving little margin for error with two full tournaments scheduled.

The NHL did not hide its frustration. Commissioner Gary Bettman called the situation «disappointing,» while deputy commissioner Bill Daly added that players would not attend if the surface cannot withstand three games a day.

Those comments reflect more than irritation. NHL participation is returning for the first time since 2014, and the league wants guarantees, safe ice, proper dimensions, and an environment that can handle the grind of elite hockey.

Organizers originally faced criticism over rink size, which differed from NHL standards, but the IOC's Pierre Ducrey said those concerns are now resolved.

Construction delays remain the real obstacle. With no ice available until the new year, every calibration, temperature test, and resurfacing run will be compressed into days, not months. Olympic planning rarely invites last-minute fixes, yet this venue now relies on them.

As a fan, hearing Daly say «if the ice isn't ready and it's not safe, then we're not going» landed hard. You can feel the league's hesitation.

The IOC insists it will be ready. President Kirsty Coventry said the group is «very impressed» by progress and is confident everything will come together, though she acknowledged the pressure of the timeline.

Hockey is one of the Games' marquee events, especially with NHL talent returning. Milan cannot afford missteps.The NHL's stance is grounded in precedent. Ice quality at major tournaments has made or broken momentum before.

Three games a day at 14,700-seat Santagiulia requires precise climate control and a structurally stable pad, something impossible to confirm until the test event.That leaves little runway for corrections if anything goes wrong.

Both sides want the same outcome, a global showcase headlined by the best players in the world. But the NHL is making its boundaries clear, player safety first, participation second. The next month will determine whether the Olympics can meet that standard.