Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Wild set the hockey world ablaze when acquiring Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks. They haven’t been quite as hot as the stretch they were on in December, but John Hynes’ team is still 26-12-9.
The entire league is less than a month away from an extended break for the Olympics however. From February 5th to the 25th, NHL action will cease to exist. Italy is the host country this time around, and construction efforts have ramped up as time dwindles down.
It certainly sounds like there are differing opinions as to the state of those construction efforts. That’s not ideal when putting world class athletes on the ice.
Problems surrounding Olympics venue
Each Olympics cycle it seems as though there are infrastructure issues. Italy isn’t exactly known as an ice hockey hotbed, so construction of sport specific venues is a must. NHL insider Chris Johnston (The Athletic) ventured to Europe in hopes of providing an update ahead of the event. He wasn’t exactly pleased.
Organizers didn’t exactly warm up to a visitor from Canada who made the trip over to lay on eyes on the still-under-construction primary hockey venue for the Milan Cortina Olympic tournament, particularly after calling attention to a five-plus minute delay in Friday’s opening test game to repair a hole in the ice.
It had been a stunning couple of hours in my first trip to Santagiulia. The building and adjacent practice rink were much less finished than I ever dreamed they could be this close to the start of the Olympic tournament, even after all of the alarm bells senior NHL officials have been sounding in recent months.
If that sounds bad, it’s worse considering those are just Johnston’s initial observations. The Olympics start in just over three weeks, and the final touches need to be completed before fans pour into these venues.
The first Olympic test event at Santagiuliana Arena is being delayed because there’s a giant hole in the ice. They brought out a watering can to try and patch it. pic.twitter.com/357xeAY3kQ
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 9, 2026
The most jarring feeling for Johnston was that the area was still a full-blown construction site, even if the hockey portion doesn’t kick off until February 11. Construction started in the spring of 2023, and now they are all in a race against time.
Just three of 14 needed dressing rooms have been completed, and having the practice rink be in a functional capacity. The second level of the arena is yet to be completed, and suites are virtually non-existent.
Italians operate in a different state of being than Americans. The laid back nature has organizers confident everything will get done, but it’s hardly a comforting feeling at this point.
Test event passes NHL standards
The reality is that NHL superstars, on sizable contracts, will be put on display in a venue that currently has plenty of questions. No one wants to see avoidable injuries take place, and that means both the NHL and NHLPA must sign off on safety measures. The test event provided optimism.
“We expect that the work necessary to address all remaining issues will continue around the clock. The NHL and NHLPA will continue to monitor the situation, standing ready to consult and advise on the work being done to ensure that the local organizing committee, the IOC, and the IIHF deliver a tournament and playing conditions befitting the world’s best players. We were pleased that this weekend’s event was a good trial run and provided important insight into the current status.”
145 NHL players are set to take place in the Olympics. This is the first time they have allowed professional participation since the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Gary Bettman, NHL commissioner, is not going to allow his product harm if things aren’t up to standard. For now they remain cautiously optimistic about the timeline in front of the International Olympic Committee. Only time will tell how this shakes out though.
Mentioned in this article: 2026 Milan Olympics
More About: Minnesota Wild
Add MinnesotaSportsFan as a preferred source on Google.