NHL fans mock Italy's Olympic hockey arena for tiny jumbotron amid mounting criticism

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NHL and NHLPA officials said they were encouraged by progress on Italy’s "still-under-construction" ice hockey rink for the 2026 Winter Olympics next month, even as fans on social media continue to mock the construction of the arena amid mounting scrutiny in the lead-up to the Games.

The NHL’s long-awaited return to the Winter Olympics has been clouded by criticism over the construction of the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, which will welcome the league’s players to the Games for the first time in over a decade. 

The construction site of the Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena, where the ice hockey competition of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place, on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Milan, Italy. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Last month, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly doubled down on warnings about the league’s participation in the Games, stating that players would not travel to Italy if the rink was deemed unsafe. 

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Concerns about the size and construction schedule of the primary rink had surfaced in the weeks leading up to his comments, with Daly noting that he was "cautiously optimistic" it would be completed in time.

 But officials seemed pleased with the rink after test events this past weekend. Fans, however, continued their criticism, with many mocking the arena’s unusually small jumbotron. 

"The Olympic Hockey rink in Milan is finally complete," one post on X read. "Instead of installing a jumbotron they opted for an iPad." 

"UPDATE they finally completed the Olympic hockey rink by hanging a refurbished iPad Mini from the ceiling so people can watch the highlights," another