Olympic hockey in Milan will be played on shorter ice than NHL dimensions

Hockey, one of the premier events at the Winter Olympics and one that is welcoming NHL players back for the first time in more than a decade, will take place on ice shorter than NHL-regulation size.

Men's and women's games at two arenas will be played in rinks that are 196.85 feet long by 85.3 feet wide. NHL dimensions are 200 by 85 feet so the Olympic ice will be slightly wider and more than three feet shorter.

The International Ice Hockey Federation approved the Milan rinks, which fit one of the governing body's standard sizes and was used by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators for two games in Stockholm in November.

The IIHF shifted to the NHL dimensions at the Olympics beginning in 2018 and used again in 2022. The 2026 Games in February mark the first time NHL players will be at the Olympics since 2014 in Sochi.

The IIHF on Monday confirmed the different size was in place in Milan without explanation.

"While these dimensions differ slightly from a typical NHL rink, they are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications," the federation said.

"All involved, the IIHF, the organizing committee, NHL, NHLPA, International Olympic Committee and the relevant venue authorities agree that the differences in rink specifications are insignificant and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play."

Olympic hockey had been played on international ice 196.85 by 98.4 feet in 1998, 2006 and 2014, with a slight variation in Salt Lake City in 2002. It was played on NHL-sized ice in Vancouver in 2010 because of the existing arenas.

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