Olympic hockey in Milan will probably be performed on shorter ice than NHL dimensions

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Hockey, one of many premier occasions on the Winter Olympics and one that's welcoming NHL gamers again for the primary time in additional than a decade, will happen on ice shorter than NHL-regulation dimension.

Males's and ladies's video games at two arenas will probably be performed in rinks which might be 196.85 toes lengthy by 85.3 toes huge. NHL dimensions are 200 by 85 toes so the Olympic ice will probably be barely wider and greater than three toes shorter.

The Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation authorized the Milan rinks, which match one of many governing physique's commonplace sizes and was utilized by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators for 2 video games in Stockholm in November.

The IIHF shifted to the NHL dimensions on the Olympics starting in 2018 and used once more in 2022. The 2026 Video games in February mark the primary time NHL gamers will probably be on the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi.

The IIHF on Monday confirmed the totally different dimension was in place in Milan with out rationalization.

"Whereas these dimensions differ barely from a typical NHL rink, they're in line with IIHF rules, match the rink dimension used on the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Video games and are totally in line with the size the NHL requires as a part of its World Sequence Recreation enviornment specs," the federation mentioned.

"All concerned, the IIHF, the organizing committee, NHL, NHLPA, Worldwide Olympic Committee and the related venue authorities agree that the variations in rink specs are insignificant and shouldn't impression both the protection or high quality of recreation play."

Olympic hockey had been performed on worldwide ice 196.85 by 98.4 toes in 1998, 2006 and 2014, with a slight variation in Salt Lake Metropolis in 2002. It was performed on NHL-sized ice in Vancouver in 2010 due to the prevailing arenas.

"It is the identical for each group, and I feel that is the underside line," Finland males's hockey common supervisor Jere Lehtinen advised The Related Press. "Our coaches, possibly it is extra attention-grabbing and one thing you must concentrate extra."

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The Canadian administration group has spent months whittling down a protracted record of names in rivalry to put on the maple leaf in Milano Cortina in February. Canada common supervisor Doug Armstrong first introduced up the ice being barely off from NHL regulation dimension on a podcast in early September after which mentioned it once more in October. Nationwide federations have been conscious of the specs for fairly a while; Canada assistant coach Peter DeBoer broached the subject lately on a radio present, elevating questions on why it is not NHL-sized ice.

The ice dimensions would be the identical in each hockey arenas in February: the principle enviornment that's nonetheless being constructed and the smaller, short-term venue located inside an exhibition heart.

Building on the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Area, the brand new, 16,000-seat venue on the outskirts of Milan, goes right down to the wire and organizers advised The AP that there was "no plan B."

A check occasion needed to be moved to the Rho Ice Hockey Area and new check occasions on the essential venue aren't scheduled till Jan. 9/11, lower than a month earlier than the primary puck is dropped. Employees on Friday had been nonetheless placing the ending touches to the venue in Rho, simply three days earlier than the beginning of the IIHF Group B Below 20 World Championship that may function a check occasion.

"We're conscious that they are not on time a bit bit, however we're all assuming that that'll all be taken care of," Canada males's assistant coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned final week.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has introduced up logistics issues repeatedly. On the league's annual fall board of governors assembly in October, he mentioned: "We're constrained in what we are able to and might't do, request and demand and if it reached a sure level, we'll need to take care of it. However I am not speculating, and we have been continuously assured by the IOC and the IIHF that it will likely be OK."

The boys's Olympic hockey event is scheduled from Feb. 11-22. The ladies's event runs from Feb. 5-19.

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