Overview
- Deputy commissioner Bill Daly said NHL players will not go to Milan if the rink is not completed to the league’s satisfaction.
- The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena remains under construction with no reported backup site if it is not ready.
- Team Canada assistant Peter DeBoer said the ice is expected to be three to four feet shorter than NHL standards.
- Coaches and former players cautioned that a smaller surface could alter gameplay and raise safety questions, though Canada GM Doug Armstrong said roster plans are unchanged.
- The men’s Olympic hockey tournament runs Feb. 11–22, and a no-go decision would mark a third straight Games without NHL players.