Here’s the latest status on the construction of the 2026 Olympic ice hockey rink and the key facility issues being reported as of January 2026:
🧊 How Far Along Is the Olympic Rink Construction?
Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena (Milan)
This is the main new ice hockey venue being built specifically for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics:
Progress
- The arena has now hosted test events, including the Italian Championship Final Four and Italian Cup, meaning the ice surface and key competitive areas are operational.
- The rink and most seating are installed, and organizers are continuing to finish out the remaining infrastructure.
- The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) have expressed cautious optimism about readiness for the Games.
What’s Still in Progress
- Hospitality areas, locker rooms, and some external finishing touches are still being completed even as the venue hosts events.
- Some auxiliary spaces, like dressing rooms and the practice rink, have been operated out of temporary structures during testing.
- The main scoreboard and concessions areas were not fully installed at test events.
Summary
✅ Ice surface ready and tested
⚠️ Structural and non-competitive areas still being finished
📅 Completion is on a very tight timeline (less than a month before competition begins in early Feb)
⚠️ Issues and Controversies at Olympic Facilities
1. Construction Delays & Tight Timelines
Many parts of the rink project were slowed earlier by legal disputes and delays in breaking ground, leading to a tight build schedule.
Even now, work is ongoing very close to the start of competition and some finishing touches may still be incomplete.
2. Rink Size & Technical Concerns
There have been reports that the hockey surface may be smaller than NHL regulation size, which raised concerns from the NHL about player participation.
3. Incomplete Non-Ice Infrastructure
At recent test events, several facilities weren’t fully ready:
- Dressing rooms in temporary setups
- Practice facilities not fully operational
- Concessions handled with food trucks rather than built-in venues
- Main scoreboard not yet installed
- Planned seating capacity reduced due to unfinished sections
4. Safety and Operational Issues at Test Events
Some reports from test games included soft ice conditions and even a hole forming on the ice mid-game that had to be repaired.
5. Broader Construction and Safety Concerns
There was a recent work-site fatality at an Olympic venue construction site (a security guard died on shift near another facility), prompting calls for safety reviews.
6. Other Olympic Venue Challenges
Outside of the hockey arena, there are ongoing high-profile projects like the new Cortina Sliding Centre, which have had their own scheduling scrutiny but are reported to be moving forward.
📌 Bottom Line
✔️ Critical competitive components (ice surface, some seating) are in place and currently being tested.
⚠️ Support spaces and finishing work remain in progress with days to go before the Olympics begin.
❗ Multiple construction, size, and operational concerns have attracted attention from teams, leagues, and international federations.
For more info- State of the Olympic hockey arena: ‘Weird’ dimensions, improving ice and construction chaos – The Athletic
and … ‘Nightmare’: Hockey fans react to surfaced video of Olympic arena | Sports
