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NHL 'Optimistic' About Olympic Rink but Could Pull Out
NHL warns players may boycott if ice quality is unsafe; rink is 3 feet shorter than NHL standard and lacks contingency plans, with a test event set for Jan. 9-11.
- On Dec. 8, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told league owners in Colorado Springs that player safety will determine participation, saying if players don't feel the ice is safe, "then we're not going to play."
- The IIHF approved a 60-meter surface of 196.85 feet by 26 meters in Milan, and Olympic organizers say there is no Plan B if the tournament must move, with the NHL lacking a contingency.
- The NHL is sending specialists and will have ongoing access to the ice, with Daly saying, `We have offered and they're utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers` and categorized last week’s updates as positive.
- Tight construction timetables and heavy daily scheduling mean the Santagiulia Arena, finishing Feb. 2, will host three games a day for nearly a three-week period before the men's tournament starts Feb. 11.
- Given the Global Series precedent, Bill Daly said the league found out about the skewed rink dimensions last week but remains "cautiously optimistic" issues will be resolved after Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators played on a similar-sized rink last month with no player feedback.
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NHL deputy commissioner doubles down on Olympic concerns, says players 'won't go' if ice is deemed unsafe
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has doubled down on warnings about the league’s participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics, saying Monday that NHL players will not travel to Italy if the rink being built in Milan is deemed unsafe. Concerns about the size and construction schedule of the primary rink have surfaced in the weeks leading up to the 2026 Games. Last week, Daly told DailyFaceoff’s Matt Larkin that, "If there’s no rink completed, t…
·New York, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources37
Leaning Left5Leaning Right7Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Center
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources are Center
45% Center
L 23%
C 45%
R 32%
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