NHL deputy commissioner doubles down on Olympic concerns, says players ‘won’t go’ if ice is deemed unsafe

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has doubled down on warnings about the league’s participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics, saying Monday that NHL players will not travel to Italy if the rink being built in Milan is deemed unsafe. 

Concerns about the size and construction schedule of the primary rink have surfaced in the weeks leading up to the 2026 Games. Last week, Daly told DailyFaceoff’s Matt Larkin that, “If there’s no rink completed, there’s no NHL players going to the Olympics.”

But speaking at the NHL Board of Governors meeting on Monday, Daly clarified that he didn’t believe the construction concerns were “insurmountable.” He did, however, note that safety concerns were another story. 

“We have offered and they’re utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers,” Daly said, via ESPN. “We’re basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that’s acceptable for NHL athletes. And I’m cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful.”

But Daly added, if the players deem the quality of the ice unsafe, “then we’re not going to play.”

NHL players’ return to the Olympics after more than a decade-long absence rests entirely on organizers’ ability to get the venue built in time – and safely – for the men’s competition, which runs from Feb. 11– 22. 

Local organizers told The Associated Press in October that the main test event scheduled in December for the 16,000-seat Santagiulia arena was pushed to a smaller arena and completion of the main arena will come down to the wire. 

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But just last week, chief Games operations officer for Milan Cortina Andrea Francisi told the AP that “there is no plan B” and new test events are scheduled until the second week of January. 

The rink itself will also be smaller than a standard NHL rink by more than three feet, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) confirmed Monday.

“While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications,” the federation said. “All involved, the IIHF, the Organizing Committee, NHL, NHLPA, IOC and the relevant venue authorities agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant, and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play.”

The season will be on pause during the Olympics. If the rink doesn’t meet the NHL’s standards, Daly said Monday that a backup plan was in place. 

“Well, I can’t tell you exactly what we do,” he said. “What I’d say is, I think in emergency-type situations like that in the past, I think we’ve responded appropriately, came up with good solutions and I have no doubt that we’ll be able to come up with good solutions if we’re faced with that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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