NHL's Daly: Quality of ice primary Olympic worry

"Daly said the main hockey arena there is scheduled to be finished Feb. 2. The women's hockey tournament begins three days later, and the men's tournament begins Feb. 11, leaving very little room for error. "If the players feel that the ice is unsafe to play, then we're not going to play," Daly told reporters after Monday's board of governors meetings. "It's as simple as that.""

"Daly categorized the updates the NHL and NHLPA received last week as positive, but said the league is upping its efforts to help see the arena through. "We have offered and they're utilizing our ice experts and technicians and outside providers," Daly said. "We're basically moving everybody there to try to help get this done in a way that's acceptable for NHL athletes. And I'm cautiously optimistic it will be fruitful.""

Construction issues at the Milan Olympic hockey venue are not considered insurmountable, but ice quality is the primary concern. The main arena is scheduled for completion on Feb. 2, with the women's tournament starting three days later and the men's tournament beginning Feb. 11, creating a tight timeline. The Olympic schedule of three games per day for nearly three weeks will test ice resiliency. The NHL is providing ice experts, technicians and outside providers and will have ongoing access, including presence for a Jan. 9-11 test event. The IIHF acknowledged rinks in Milan will be about three feet shorter than standard NHL rinks.

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