Star Metro - NHL players will compete at Olympics, says international ice hockey chief

Luc Tardif told reporters present at a key test event for the Santa Giulia arena in Milan that "there is no reason that NHL will not come" to the Olympics for the first time since 2014.

"Every International Federation president wants the best players in this competition so that means it's always our goal," Tardif said.

"We were a little bit worried but since a month we do feel better and after this weekend we're going to be satisfied, but then I like to sleep well and and now I will sleep well."

Officially named the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the rink is scheduled to host 33 preliminary and knock-out games at the upcoming Olympics, which run between February 6 and 22.

The participation of the NHL, widely considered the world's best league, was called into question as recently as last month by its deputy commissioner Bill Daly, due to concerns about the playing surface.

But Tardif hailed the quality of the rink even after a small hole caused a short stoppage during the test event's first match on Friday night.

Milan-Cortina CEO Andrea Varnier said that player reaction to the rink was "very positive", and Tardif said it held up well to the three matches played on it on Saturday.

"Yesterday (Saturday) that was really the test because you know there is not a lot of competition where you've got three games in a day," said Tardif.

"We know how it's difficult to have a high level of quality of ice for the third game in the third period.

"Yesterday was a good test because that was fantastic, the puck was sliding and not bumping."

Christophe Dubi, the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Games Executive Director, was positive even though he admitted decoration will likely not be complete for the start of the women's tournament on February 5.

- 'Hats off' -

The puck drops for the men's tournament, when the NHL players will take to the ice, on February 11.

"This venue I've visited, I don't know, 25 times maybe... The last time I came was before Christmas and this is radically different. So, so much progress. Anyone involved here, hats off," said Dubi.

"I expect a number of areas where painting might not be fully dry, but nothing that would prevent anyone to work or enjoy the experience."

Dubi added that he expected either the NHL or IIHF to make a statement on Sunday following the completing of the weekend's test event, a series of domestic league and cup matches played between Friday and Sunday.

The ice hockey arena is one of the few entirely new venues built for the Olympics, which span a vast area of northern Italy from economic capital Milan to the Dolomite mountains that straddle the country's borders with Austria and Slovenia.

Organisers also told AFP that the number of "sellable tickets" for the Olympic hockey matches will be 11,800 -- down from a regular capacity of 15,300 -- to accommodate media and delegations in the stands.

The arena's construction has been one of the sore points of preparations for the Olympics, with construction work running so late that the venue's original test event -- scheduled for last month -- had to be moved to the secondary rink in Milan's western suburbs.

"Was I concerned? Certainly. Because if you were here six months ago, it didn't look this way, I can tell you," said Dubi.

"When the Federation is happy, they're in charge of the sport. They're in charge of the technical elements. When they are happy, no reason to be concerned."

Varnier confirmed that ticket sales for the Winter Olympics had topped one million, saying "we are where we expected to be at this time".

A.Landry--SMC