If the ice is smaller and arena has other problems, oh, well. These Badgers are ready for the Winter Olympics regardless.
MADISON – As organizers in Italy get ready for the Milan Cortina Olympics in February, reports on the primary hockey venue haven’t been exactly glowing.
The ice dimensions at Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena are off compared to both international and NHL standards, and the NHL was worried enough about ice quality to caution it wouldn’t send players if there were safety concerns.
The seating bowl isn’t done, and when it is it will hold a few thousand fewer spectators than planned.
Getting locker rooms ready over the coming weeks will be a scramble.
And the scoreboard is too small and too high for players on the ice to read the clock.
But two of University of Wisconsin women’s team members headed for these Winter Games said they’re not particularly worried.
“What has been in the news is what we’ve seen as well,” goaltender Ava McNaughton said Jan. 13.
“From what we know, I think it’s maybe a couple feet shorter and maybe a little bit narrower. But I think all of us are just excited to play. At the end of the day, three feet isn’t going to make the difference between winning and losing a game.
“Maybe it’ll change a couple things in terms of angles and a little bit quicker decisions behind the net, maybe in the neutral zone, but at the end of the day, hockey’s hockey and you’ve got to adjust to the ice surface and so I think we’ll be ready for it.”
McNaughton is one of four Badgers who made Team USA, joining defenders Caroline Harvey and Laila Edwards and forward Kirsten Simms. Forward Adéla Šapovalivová will represent Czechia.
The U.S. and Canadian teams also include numerous Wisconsin alumni.
The Olympic women’s tournament runs from Feb. 5-19 and the men’s from Feb. 11-22.
Women’s hockey has been part of the Winter Olympics since 1998, and the United States has medaled each time, winning gold in 1998 and 2018 and most recently taking the silver after falling to Canada in the 2022 final.
The new arena hosted a three-day, seven-game test over the weekend, a test rescheduled from December due to delays. On the first day, a small hole in the ice had to be repaired, but after the event the International Ice Hockey Federation, International Olympic Committee and NHL said they were satisfied.
So is Havey, who played in the 2022 Games in Beijing.
“We’ll have some practices on it before we get going,” Harvey said. “But yeah, we’re ready to go over there, and it doesn’t matter the size and dimension of the rink, it’ll be the same game for us, and we have the same plan of attack.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin women's hockey Olympians address Milan arena issues
Category: General Sports
