The Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina start in exactly one month, and one of the most followed sports, ice hockey, will also be one of the most controversial, due to the confirmation by the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) that the ice hockey rink will smaller than the rinks used in NHL and narrower than the international standard.
The IHHF confirmed last month that the ice surface on the rink will measure 60.0 m x 26.0 m. That's equivalent to 196.85 ft. x 85.3 ft approximately, which is shorter but slightly wider than the ice surfaces used in NHL (200 feet x 85 feet), and also narrower than the international standard of 60 metres x 30 metres (approximately 197 feet x 98.4 feet).
The IIHF said that these dimensions are consistent with IIHF regulations, match the rink size used at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and are fully consistent with the dimensions the NHL requires as part of its Global Series Game arena specifications, adding that all involved in the Winter Olympic Games, including IIHF and IOC, agreed that "the differences in rink specifications are insignificant, and should not impact either the safety or quality of game play".