The organising committee of next year’s Winter Olympics on Monday defended the size of ice rinks for the Games after criticism from the sport’s governing body.
The Santa Giulia arena is set to host preliminary and knock-out games at the Milan-Cortina Olympics which run between February 6-22 but the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and North American media covering the NHL have voiced their concerns regarding the playing area.
The Milano Rho arena will be the home of some other preliminary matches. Players from the NHL in North America, widely regarded as the best in the world, will compete at next year’s Olympics for the first time since 2014. “The IIHF can confirm that the ice surfaces for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will measure 60.0 m x 26.0 m (approximately 196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft),” the Milano-Cortina Games organisers said.