© Brian Fluharty/Imagn
For the first time since 2014 in Sochi, NHL players are set to return to the ice to compete in the Winter Olympics in Milan in February.
However, poor preparation may well have thrown a wrench into those plans.
NHL players skipped the last two Winter Olympic games in Pyeongchang and Beijing after owners refused to allow to release players during the middle of the season. This time around, both sides came to an agreement that will see the NHL take a three-week break for the Olympics
However, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Monday that if the players feel the quality of the ice at the Olympics in Milan is unsafe, “then we’re not going to play.”
NHL Players Could Skip Olympics If Ice Rink Isn’t Deemed Safe
The main hockey arena in Milan will not be finished Feb. 2.
The women’s hockey tournament is scheduled to begin just three days later, while the men’s tournament, including NHL players, begins on Feb. 11.
“We have offered and they’re utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers,” Daly said. “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.”
In addition to ice conditions, there are some concerns about the size of the rink.
The International Ice Hockey Federation recently announced that the two rinks in Milan would be about 3 feet shorter than a standard NHL rink (196.85 feet by 85.3 feet, instead of 200 feet by 85 feet. That goes against the agreement the NHL and NHLPA signed with the IIHF in July.
Thankfully, players took little issue with the size of the rink.
“The players association has canvassed the players and apparently they did not believe it to be a big issue, health and safety issue or a competitive issue,” Daly said.
If the rink does not meet the standards of NHL players, it doesn’t appear there is Plan B. Many countries would need to select a new team in just a matter of days. While the NHL would seemingly still have three weeks off.
“I mean, it kind of is what it is,” Daly said. “Having said that, if you’re faced with that being the reality, then you have to think about what you do next. ”
Hopefully, the ice conditions don’t become an issue, and the fans and players get what they’ve long waited for. But it does appear that the NHL, and its players, are already giving themselves an out.