The 2026 Winter Olympics are drawing nearer. It should be a time for optimism, especially with NHL players making their long-awaited return to the games.
Instead, nobody knows if NHL players will even make it to Milan. In case you haven't heard, the quality of the rink isn't up to par, and that's not a good sign when they are supposed to be two months away from the Olympic Games commencing.
Deputy commissioner Bill Daly weighed in recently, saying "we're not going to play" if the league felt the ice wasn't safe or suitable.
Daly's take also wasn't all doom and gloom, as he also elaborated, saying, "We have offered and they're utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers. We're basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that's acceptable for NHL athletes. And I'm cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful."
Meanwhile, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman used the term "disappointing," regarding the rink. "I'm not trying to pile on this, in all of the prior Olympics, whether they built permanent or temporary facilities, it's never been this late for a completion in the building of ice, and so that's why we are cautious."
NHL is getting increasingly worried about the Olympic ice
The ice is currently measuring 196.85 feet long, instead of the standard 200 feet. It's also measuring 85.3 feet wide, slightly wider than the NHL's usual 85. To some, this may not look like an issue. If one stood in front of and looked at it, they wouldn't notice a difference.
Here's the catch: NHL ice is already smaller than international ice dimensions, which measure 196.9 feet by 98.4 feet. So the length is slightly smaller than what one would see on international ice, with the increased width to compensate for the shorter rink.
That could create major safety concerns, since they would be playing on a narrower rink close to NHL standards, but without the increased length. With the narrower rink already encouraging tighter checking and more physical play, there's a reason to be leery about playing on a rink with a shorter length.
For the players, this could mean an increased risk for injuries, and that would be detrimental with one-third of the season to go when the league recommences following the Olympics. The good news is that they could end up moving the blue lines back and narrowing the neutral zone, allowing for the offensive and defensive zones to be up to NHL standards.
This move would be similar to what the league did during the Global Series in Sweden between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators.
A quick history of the NHL in the Olympics
The NHL first allowed its players to take part in the 1998 Olympics. That trend continued in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. In most of those Olympic games, the league's players skated on rinks that matched international standards. The only exceptions came in 2010 during the Vancouver games, when the league switched to the NHL surface, and in 2002, when the width at the Salt Lake City games was slightly narrower.
If the NHL were to play in the 2026 games, it would be the first time its players would play in a hybrid rink. With so many unknowns with the smaller, narrower rink, there is cause for concern, but maybe they will find a solution, and the league will send the players as planned.
Should the NHL still take part in the games, it will be a fun two weeks. If not, then the next question would be: Now what? Would the league still go dark for two weeks, play an impromptu All-Star Game instead, or even something similar to a 4 Nations Face-Off? Over the next few weeks, they will be answering quite a few questions.