IOC happy as new Milan Cortina hockey arena almost ready to welcome NHL players

The International Olympic Committee says it's impressed with the new hockey arena for the Milan Cortina Olympics, even if parts of it still look like a building site.

The Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena will be one of the focal points of the games next month, with NHL players returning to the Olympics for the first time in more than a decade.

However, the venue has also been the focal point of the buildup with construction delays and other matters causing concern.

It is finally ready — or at least almost.

The ice rink is in place and most of the seating, but there is still an abundance of plastic sheeting, while some areas such as the locker rooms are far from finished.

"What I see personally is an extraordinary seating bowl and this venue … looks fantastic," IOC Olympic Games Executive Director Christophe Dubi said Sunday. "The last time I came was before Christmas, and this is radically different. So, so much progress. Anyone involved here, hats off.”

"There's only one way to go, and that is the view of the experts … and what they tell us, first class."

The NHL has previously expressed concern about ice quality due to construction delays, with deputy commissioner Bill Daly saying the league would not send its players if there were any safety concerns.

The IOC shared some of those worries.

"Although we were facing a lot of difficulties, we always had a very strong plan," Dubi said. "Now, having a plan does not mean that you're going to get there, but there was so much oversight and so much expertise thrown at this venue with probably the best engineers, the best Ice Meister, everything that could be thrown at that venue was thrown.

"So, did I ever have doubts? No. Was I concerned? Certainly. Because if you were here six