97 Days Until The Winter Olympics: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman Concerned About Completion of Ice Arena 

As celebration events were held in Italy to commemorate 100 days until the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, a trend started to form. The summary seemed to be, “Holy Cow, we have less than four months to get everything ready before the world comes here.” Count NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman among the many interested stakeholders.

After all, Bettman has a huge stake in these games. For the first time since 2014, the Olympics will welcome the NHL’s brightest stars back to the Olympic stage. And that Olympic stage is the Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena. And, as the clock ticks on the largest “to-do” list in Italy, there is a lot of work left to be done at the arena.   

Bettman States His Concern With the Rink 

Bettman discussed the still to be completed Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena recently. On October 15, Bettman stated: 

“We’ve had a concern for the last two years of the progress of the rink … but it’s the IOC’s responsibility. We’re invited guests, but they know of our concerns and we’re expecting that they’re going to make good on all the promises to have a facility that is from a competitive standpoint first class.

“This is not our event. We are constrained in what we can and can’t do, request and demand, and if it reached a certain point we’ll have to deal with it. But I’m not speculating and we’ve been constantly assured by the IOC and the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) that it will be OK. Obviously, the Players’ Association will share our concerns if there are any even necessary.”

Organizers Are Confident The Arena Will Be Done on Time 

While organizers project an air of confidence, a palpable tension surrounds the readiness of the Ice Hockey Arena. The state-of-the-art facility remains a construction site, pushing its debut to the very brink of the opening ceremony. 

The feeling on the ground is a mix of pragmatic urgency and seasoned experience.  Milan Cortina organizing committee president Giovanni Malagò recently told journalists, he acknowledges  the tight schedule.“Being completely honest I would say that these 100 days are necessary, we need them but I don’t think that’s any different than any other big event, you always see people working even hours before the start to ensure it meets expectations.”

Another example of last-minute preparation is the rebuilt, century-old sliding track in Cortina.  The rebuild was a source of intense debate with the International Olympic Committee. Yet, organizers delivered, with the IOC now saying the controversial track has “surpassed expectations.” 

Malagò hopes to replicate that success, stating, “They did a fantastic job and now we want to meet the same expectations with Santa Giulia.” However, the ice hockey arena presents a uniquely challenging timeline that has the international hockey community watching with bated breath.

Will the First Event in the Arena Be The Olympics?  

The pressure is mounting as critical deadlines have already shifted. A planned under-20 world championship, intended to be the arena’s first major test, was relocated due to the construction delays. Now, the official test event is slated for January 9-11, leaving less than a month before the Olympic start.

If the January test fails to happen, the first official puck drop could be an Olympic event. This would mean the Olympic athletes themselves may be the first to ever skate on the arena ice. 

Now you know why Bettman is concerned.