There are some exciting times for hockey fans ahead, but it comes with a caveat. The IIHF has confirmed an unwanted twist for ice hockey at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics: NHLers may be back, but NHL-sized rinks are conspicuously absent. Players will be skating on a smaller rink , and fans are not thrilled about it.

Chris Johnston from The Athletic dropped the news earlier today on X. “The IIHF confirms the ice surfaces for the Milan Olympics will be shorter than a typical NHL building—196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft.—and defends the decision: ‘The differences in rink specifications are insignificant and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play.’” What does that really mean?

According to The Athletic, the Santagiulia Arena rink will measure 60 by 26 meters—roughly 196.85 by 8

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