Milan's Ice Hockey Arena Still Under Construction Five Days Before Games, Leaving Olympic Organisers Red-Faced.
The construction of the 11,800-capacity Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, one of two new venues being built in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics, is still ongoing just five days before its first match. Visitors to the site on Saturday were met with a chaotic scene, featuring building materials and dust both inside and outside the stadium.
The arena's finish line appears nowhere near completion, with many areas of the venue, including hospitality boxes, food and drink stalls, and press facilities, yet to be finished or fully equipped. There are no seats in the latter area, while lifts and toilets remain covered in plastic wraps and appear scruffy.
Core elements like electricity and running water are functioning, but it's unclear when they will be available for use by athletes and spectators alike. Despite some finishing touches being applied to the arena, concerns about its readiness have been ongoing throughout the Games' preparations.
The rink at Santagiulia is shorter than the minimum requirement in the National Hockey League (NHL), which could lead to an increase in high-speed collisions. The quality of the ice has also been questioned by experts and officials from various sports organizations.
In November, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly stated that if players feel the ice is unsafe, they won't play. It remains to be seen how the Italian hockey authorities will address these concerns given the current state of readiness for the Games' main venue.
The Milano Rho Arena, a temporary venue constructed in the Fiera Milano exhibition centre, is staging some group-stage matches and has a capacity 5,800-6,000 fewer than Santagiulia. Two venues are being used to host ice hockey events during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which officially run from February 6th to 22nd.
For now, it seems like Olympic organisers face a pressing task in completing the construction of Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in time for its first match on Thursday, February 5.
The construction of the 11,800-capacity Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, one of two new venues being built in Milan for the 2026 Winter Olympics, is still ongoing just five days before its first match. Visitors to the site on Saturday were met with a chaotic scene, featuring building materials and dust both inside and outside the stadium.
The arena's finish line appears nowhere near completion, with many areas of the venue, including hospitality boxes, food and drink stalls, and press facilities, yet to be finished or fully equipped. There are no seats in the latter area, while lifts and toilets remain covered in plastic wraps and appear scruffy.
Core elements like electricity and running water are functioning, but it's unclear when they will be available for use by athletes and spectators alike. Despite some finishing touches being applied to the arena, concerns about its readiness have been ongoing throughout the Games' preparations.
The rink at Santagiulia is shorter than the minimum requirement in the National Hockey League (NHL), which could lead to an increase in high-speed collisions. The quality of the ice has also been questioned by experts and officials from various sports organizations.
In November, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly stated that if players feel the ice is unsafe, they won't play. It remains to be seen how the Italian hockey authorities will address these concerns given the current state of readiness for the Games' main venue.
The Milano Rho Arena, a temporary venue constructed in the Fiera Milano exhibition centre, is staging some group-stage matches and has a capacity 5,800-6,000 fewer than Santagiulia. Two venues are being used to host ice hockey events during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which officially run from February 6th to 22nd.
For now, it seems like Olympic organisers face a pressing task in completing the construction of Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena in time for its first match on Thursday, February 5.
The Olympics are just around the corner and they're still trying to finish up this ice hockey arena? I mean, I get it, construction takes time, but five days is like, a whole lot of time for something as important as a sports event. And what's even crazier is that the rink is shorter than what NHL players need! That's not gonna be fun to watch, especially if there are high-speed collisions.
️ The temporary venue is a help, but it's not the same as having a proper arena. Fingers crossed for a smooth Olympics! 
and theres no seats in the hospitality area lol whats goin on?? 
i was expectin a sick venue for the 2026 winter olympics but now im worried if it'll even b ready by friday 
the ice rink is shorter than required for NHL games which isnt good news 
and the quality of the ice has experts goin crazy 
or its gonna be a disaster on ice 
. I mean, who wants to attend an event only to find out that the venue is still a mess? It's like, what's the point of even having an Olympic Games if the host city can't get its act together? And it's not just about the arena itself, but also the quality of the ice and safety concerns... 
. I'm not sure what's going on with these Olympics, but this whole thing just feels like a hot mess 
.
and now it's an ice hockey arena 
maybe they can learn from others who had similar problems like Russia's Sochi Olympics in 2014 
or even the LA 1984 Olympics where some venues were still under construction during the Games 
. Five days before the games and it's still not finished? I mean, can you imagine if you were an athlete or spectator expecting to attend this major event only to find out that there are no seats, no functional toilets, and who knows what else 
. It's just so irresponsible of the organizers to leave everything to the last minute. And on top of that, safety concerns about the ice quality? That's just a huge red flag 
Can't believe they're still working on the arena just days before the big event! I feel so bad for the organizers and athletes - it's like a ticking time bomb over there 
. And yikes, the ice rink is shorter than what the NHL requires? That's not good at all 
The Nostalgist is shakin' his head...
It's not exactly what you want to see when you're paying to watch hockey matches. And to make matters worse, the rink is shorter than the NHL standard... that just doesn't sound right 
. It's like they're trying to break some kind of record for most delays in a project! 
The concerns about the ice being shorter than the NHL minimum requirement are also valid, because safety should always be the top priority 
. I'm not sure what's going on with the Italian hockey authorities, but hopefully they'll step in and address these issues ASAP 
.