WEST ORANGE, N.J. — A heavily scrutinized venue for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics adds an air of uncertainty to the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments, which are set to take place in early February. But PWHL players are adamant that the show will go on — as emphasized by several New York Sirens players this week.
“We’re going no matter what,” New York’s alternate captain Sarah Fillier asserted Monday.
The PWHL paused its season from Dec. 8-15 for an international break, allowing players to join their respective national teams for one final tune-up before Olympic play. There will be a month-long break in the PWHL schedule from Jan. 28-Feb. 26 to allow participation in the Olympics.
Fillier was one of six Sirens players who represented her country last week. She represented Team Canada alongside Sirens center Kristin O’Neill and goalie Kayle Osborne, traveling to Edmonton for the conclusion of a four-game series against the United States
The Americans completed the first sweep in Rivalry Series history on Saturday, aided by New York’s No. 3 overall pick Casey O’Brien and assistant coach Josh Sciba. Meanwhile, No. 1 overall pick Kristyna Kaltounkova joined Team Czechia in Finland for the last leg of the 2025 Women’s Euro Hockey Tour.
It serves as a lead-in to the main event. With NHL talent returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014, there’s a buzz around the 2026 ice hockey competition. Of course, that’s not the only reason for the media circus surrounding the 2026 Winter Games.
Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena is scheduled to host over 80 percent of games in the men’s bracket, and nine of 28 games on the women’s side. The venue was expected to be ready by the end of 2025, but due to construction delays, it’s now scheduled to be completed on Feb. 2 — just three days before the start of the women’s tournament and nine days before the men’s.
The arena’s listed capacity is 14,012, cut by nearly 2,000 from initial reports. The remaining 24 Olympic hockey games will be played at Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena, which seats 5,738.
Both rinks will be approximately 196.85 feet by 85.83 feet, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced in December — roughly four feet shorter than standard NHL and PWHL dimensions.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly is cautiously optimistic about player participation in the Winter Games, but asserted that the League would not send players if it deemed the ice unsafe.
According to Fillier, that’s not a conversation the women’s side plans to entertain.
“No discussions,” the 2022 Olympic gold medalist stated. “I think the media is maybe blowing it up to be a bigger discussion than it needs to be. If there’s ice and there’s boards and fans, we’re going.”
Sirens have ‘no concerns’ about Olympic venue in Milan
Fillier isn’t alone in that assertion.
“I have absolutely no concerns with what the venue looks like or the ice sheet,” O’Neill echoed. “I’m just concerned about getting there and impacting my team as much as possible.”
“No concerns,” Sciba added Tuesday. “Hockey’s hockey — especially for us. We’re gonna get over there, it’s the Olympics, everybody’s gonna be charged up. You’re not gonna think about it too much once you hit the ice.”
It’s a sentiment many PWHL players seem to share.
“It’s just kind of noise,” Team Canada defender Renata Fast told The Athletic’s Michael Russo. “There really isn’t any standardized ice surfaces around the world. It’s just the NHL used to being on NHL ice.”
In fact, many PWHL players with national team experience are accustomed to playing on ice of varying sizes.
Sciba pointed to the 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championship hosted in Denmark as a recent example of international competition with smaller rink dimensions.
“The rink doesn’t matter to us,” Fillier insisted. “If it’s two feet shorter, two feet not as wide — we play in Europe all the time for World Championships and the rinks are always different.”
Clearly, it’s not a deterrent. As long as there’s ice on the floor and a roof over their heads, the PWHL will be in Milan come February.
