Overview
- The IIHF confirmed the Milan Olympic surface will be 60 by 26 meters, which is narrower than the NHL standard yet fully compliant and identical to the size used at Beijing 2022.
- League and union officials say the size difference is a minor issue, and Bill Daly noted players surveyed by the NHLPA did not see it as a health, safety or competitive concern.
- Daly warned that NHL players will not take the ice if they judge the surface unsafe, describing safety as a nonnegotiable threshold.
- Construction of the 16,000-seat Santa Giulia arena is behind schedule, planned test events were canceled, and completion is slated three days before the women’s tournament opens on February 5, with readiness targeted for February 2.
- The NHL has told stakeholders it expects NHL-size ice for the 2030 Games, and a July agreement provides for NHL player participation in 2026 and again in 2030.