VIDEO SHOWS: ICE HOCKEY TEST EVENT AT VENUE TO HOST THE 2026 WINTER OLYMPICS ICE HOCKEY RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: MILAN, ITALY (JANUARY 11, 2026) (REUTERS – See restrictions before use) 1. VARIOUS OF MATCH TAKING PLACE ON ICE RINK INSIDE SANTAGIULIA ICE HOCKEY ARENA 2. VIEW OF ROOF INTERIOR / MATCH UNDERWAY 3. MATCH ACTION 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTOPHE DUBI, SAYING: “We still have two games to go, but so far, so good.” 5. VARIOUS OF MATCH ACTION 6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTOPHE DUBI, SAYING: “Putting pressure on the ice three times a day is very unusual. It only happens at the Games and yesterday they did it, and last game, the puck was going flat, and he said this is an excellent sign that the ice is of the highest quality. So, very happy with that.” 7. MATCH UNDERWAY 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) OLYMPIC GAMES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CHRISTOPHE DUBI, ON MEETING WITH THE NHL, SAYING: “We have a meeting and a tour with them later, but, so far, what we've heard is very positive.” 9. ICE 10. ZAMBONI ON ICE RINK 11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION, LUC TARDIF, SAYING: “We know how it’s difficult to have a high level of quality of ice for the third game of the third period. Yesterday, that was a good test, because that was fantastic. The puck was sliding, it was not bumping and there is some adjustment that was a little bit more slow, but that’s really something, that was a conclusive test. So, we’ll go back in Zurich happy and confident.” 12. MAN WORKING ON ICE 13. VARIOUS OF ZAMBONIS ON ICE RINK 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ICE HOCKEY FEDERATION, LUC TARDIF, SAYING: “There is no reason that NHL will not come, you know, the security of the players, that’s also for the other players. We’ve got European players. We don’t make any difference when we organise a world championship. We want to make sure about the quality of ice, the security for the players, it doesn’t matter where they come (from). So, now I can say, we’re ready for the competition.” 15. SCUFF AND SCRATCH MARKS ON ICE 16. SPECTATORS 17. VARIOUS OF MATCH ACTION 18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MILANO CORTINA 2026 CEO, ANDREA VARNIER, SAYING: “Well, the hole in the first match, I think it was a small hole in, on the other side, on this side, I think. On the other side, and this is very normal. It happens all the time in hockey matches and it was very, very limited, and again, that was the first time the ice had been used at all, and, so, our ice master was expecting much more of this potentially happening and then after that, it didn't happen at all, including yesterday with three matches in a row.” 19. SPECTATORS 20. MATCH ACTION 21. PUBLIC IN CONCOURSE 22. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MILANO CORTINA 2026 CEO, ANDREA VARNIER, SAYING: “There may be some areas of the venue that are not as relevant for the Games that maybe are not completely finished, and, but what is fundamental for the success of the Games, which is, first of all, the field of play, the hospitality areas, the arena inside, and most of the features outside will be finished for the Games.” 23. EXTERIOR OF SANTAGIULIA OLYMPIC ICE HOCKEY ARENA 24. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF SANTAGIULIA OLYMPIC ICE HOCKEY ARENA WITH CRANES 25. CABLE HANGING FROM EXTERIOR 26. VARIOUS OF CRANES STORY: A new ice hockey arena set to stage top matches at the Winter Olympics received a positive review after test games over the weekend and is due to host the return of North America's NHL stars to the Games after 12 years, the International Olympic Committee and the International Ice Hockey Federation said on Sunday (January 11). Slow progress and delays in the construction of the Santagiulia arena in Milan, in the southeast of the city, has emerged as one of the main headaches in the run-up to the Olympics, co-hosted by Milan and the Alpine resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo from February 6 to February 22. The IOC said initial feedback from an NHL delegation, which had raised concerns about the venue in December, including on the quality of the ice, was good. The arena, which will have a capacity of 15,300 spectators, hosted 4,000 fans per match over the weekend, when testing was carried out by hosting the Final Four event of Italy's Championship and the 2025/2026 Italian Cup. Organisers dismissed concerns after a brief delay to the action on Friday (January 9) night during the inaugural match when a small hole close to one of the goals had to be repaired. Construction work is still going on inside the venue, with hospitality areas and locker rooms yet to be completed. The media section has also been set up on a temporary basis. Andrea Varnier, CEO of local organisers Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, conceded that some behind-the-scene parts of the arena and some of the surroundings might not be fully completed on time. (Production: Alex Fraser, Stefan Haskins)
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