MILAN, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The new Santagiulia ice hockey arena in Milan, which will stage the top matches at the Winter Olympics next month, drew a vote of confidence on Saturday after it finally opened its doors with a test event featuring Italy's top teams.
Don Moffatt, who is in charge of the ice at the rink, said he and the organisers were "very happy and satisfied with the field of play" and dismissed any concerns after a brief delay to the action on Friday night when a small hole close to one of the goals had to be repaired.
There is extra attention on the venue as elite players from the North American NHL are due to compete at the Olympics for the first time since 2014. Tickets for the men's gold medal game at the Santagiulia cost up to 1,400 euros ($1,630).
"When we’re speaking of new ice that hasn’t been skated on yet, it’s normal that it responds with cracks, which can also be caused by the ice resurfacer," Moffatt, the 'Ice Master' for the Olympics and Paralympics ice hockey competitions, said in a statement.
"On a first occasion, many holes may happen, but here, the ice has been good, and only one occurred that was 2 cm (0.8 inches) wide," he added, saying it was filled straightaway.
"We’re very satisfied because these are minor details and in line with the usual process," added Canadian-born Moffatt, who will be overseeing the Olympic ice for a fifth time.
WORK TO BE DONE ON THE VENUE
The inside of the venue remains under construction, with hospitality areas and locker rooms yet to be completed. The media section has also been set up on a temporary basis.
Speaking at a briefing before the inaugural match on Friday, Chief Games Operations Officer Andrea Francisi said he was "100%" confident the facilities would be up to scratch for NHL players.
Local organisers said last month that the rink would be safe after it emerged that the surface would be a little shorter than NHL specifications, raising concerns over the risk of even more high-speed collisions between players.
Slow progress on completing the venue has emerged as the main headache in the run-up to the Olympics which will be co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo from February 6-22.
The arena, which will have a capacity of 15,300 spectators, will host 4,000 fans during the test days this weekend when it is hosting the Final Four event of Italy's Championship and the 2025/2026 Italian Cup.
($1 = 0.8593 euros)
(Reporting by Elvira Pollina. and Alex FraserWriting by Keith Weir)
