Does Size Really Matter? Why A Smaller Olympic Ice Rink Should Ring Alarm Bells

Dec 3, 2025

It's a question that hockey fans might be asking themselves as we inch closer to the Olympic Games in Milan. Early reports suggest that the main ice rink used for the men's and women's hockey – the 16,000-seat Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena – could be three to four feet shorter than the NHL standard.

"Actually, the ice surface, it looks like it's going to be smaller than NHL rink standards, by probably three or four feet," Team Canada assistant coach Peter DeBoer told Sportsnet's Real Kyper & Bourne on Monday.

Milan's Olympic ice could be slightly smaller than NHL standards, sparking fears of organizational blunders and a compromised hockey experience for players and fans who have waited 12 years for best-on-best hockey.

thehockeynews.comDoes Size Really Matter? Why A Smaller Olympic Ice Rink Should Ring Alarm BellsMilan's Olympic ice could be slightly smaller than NHL standards, sparking fears of organizational blunders and a compromised hockey experience for players and fans who have waited 12 years for best-on-best hockey.

Drop a comment and share your perspective.