NHL stars are returning to Olympic Games ice hockey for the first time in twelve years, but barely four months before the start, the main arena Santagiulia Arena is not ready.
The idea was that the arena would be tested with the B World Championship for juniors on December 8-14, but the tournament has now been moved to the smaller Olympic Games arena, Rho Arena.
The Olympic Games organizer confirms to AP that the tournament has been moved and that no new test event is planned.
It will be ready very close to the start of the games, the timeframe is tight. But we have known that, said Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina, recently.
Santagiulia Arena will accommodate 16,000 seated spectators and will become the largest indoor arena in Italy.
The first Olympic Games match to be played in the Olympic Games arena will be the meeting between Italy and France in the women's hockey tournament on February 5, the day before the Olympic Games opening.
The women's tournament will be played from February 5-19 and the men's tournament will be decided between February 11 and 22.
