"During an appearance on Sportsnet's "Real Kyper and Bourne," DeBoer said he expects the playing surface to be several feet smaller than an NHL rink, though he was baffled as to why. "The ice surface, it looks like it's going to be smaller than NHL rink standards [by] it looks like three or four feet," he said. "I don't understand how that happened.""
"Per The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Michael Russo, a 196.85 feet by 85.3 feet rink has been approved for the Games, compared to the 200-foot by 85-foot ice sheet used in the NHL. Players have previously competed on international-sized rinks at the Olympics, but the agreement between the NHL, NHLPA, and International Olympic Committee specified an NHL-sized rink for the 2026 Games. The NHL last sent players to the Olympics for the 2014 Sochi Games."
NHL players are scheduled to return to the Olympics in 2026, but Milan's new arena remains under construction with fewer than 90 days until the Games. An approved rink size of 196.85 by 85.3 feet is several feet shorter than the NHL standard 200 by 85 foot sheet. Team Canada assistant coach Pete DeBoer expressed surprise at the reduced dimensions. The NHL, NHLPA, and IOC originally specified an NHL-sized rink for 2026. Construction delays canceled a planned test event, leaving little margin before competition start and no backup venue. Women's tournament begins February 5; men's runs February 11–22.
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