The NHL’s triumphant return to the Olympics is suddenly in doubt.

NHL players participated in the Olympics from 1998-2014, making the quadrennial hockey tournament one of the highlights of the winter games. Sadly, NHL players were taken out once again for the 2018 and 2022 editions after being unable to strike an agreement with the International Olympic Committee.

With increased interest in international hockey after a decade out of the spotlight, NHL players are scheduled to return to the Olympics in 2026 at Milan-Cortina. However, concerns are arising at the 11th hour that they may not appear because the rink may not be completed in time to the league’s satisfaction. Not only is Milan behind in actually building the arena, but the ice also looks like it will be smaller than an NHL rink, which is a violation of the agreement made to bring players back to the Olympics. Incredibly, there is no Plan B for an alternative hockey site if the rink isn’t done in time.

A debacle of this magnitude would be a disaster for both the Olympics and the NHL.

Hockey’s brightest moment in years came last winter during the 4 Nations Face-Off, when millions tuned in to watch international best-on-best competition. An astonishing 9.3 million viewers watched the USA-Canada championship game in the US, and another 7 million watched north of the border. It eclipsed every NHL game in modern television history. Despite the tournament’s experimental nature, it was a roaring success.

Traditionally, the Olympics have been an even bigger showcase — at least when NHL players have been involved. Canada’s 2012 gold medal victory over the USA in Vancouver drew over 27 million viewers for NBC.

While it’s true that the NHL may not have seen a mammoth boost in numbers following the 4 Nations tournament, there is no denying that a huge showcase event like that can only help grow the game and make new stars. The NHL has realized that international hockey needs to be part of the calendar moving forward, which is why they have re-embraced Olympic competition in the first place.

If the Milan Olympics can’t get their act together, it would be a huge disappointment to miss out on seeing the best players in the world play for their countries once again. The NHL would suffer, but the Olympics and NBC would also obviously suffer as well with what would amount to a second or even third level tournament. And that’s something that nobody wants to see.