A major development in the 2026 Olympics being canceled was just confirmed by the NHL's deputy commissioner

The new Olympic rink in Italy still isn't ready, and it will be shutting the door on NHL players at the 2026 Games if the project isn't complete in time, according to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly.

The 16,000-seat PalaItalia Santa Giulia arena in Milan, slated to host the ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, remains far behind schedule.

The league expected a test event in December, but event organizers postponed it to mid-January, just weeks before opening games and ceremonies.

That delay set alarm bells ringing inside the National Hockey League. According to inside reporting, the league will send representatives to personally inspect the venue.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly offered a blunt warning on the situation:

That stark message echoes the worries of many about the viability of the event.

So far the league has described the delay as «concerning.»

The lack of alternate venues only deepens the threat. Organizers reportedly have «no Plan B» if Santa Giulia doesn't get finished on time, Andrea Francisi, Olympic Games operations officer said.

If Milan fails this test, it could derail the entire NHL return to Olympic hockey in 2026. For Bedard, a generational talent whose Olympic window may be narrow due to a long NHL schedule and future contract demands, a missed Olympics would sting. Fans across North America, especially Chicago's, following the rise of the 20-year-old sensation, would lose a golden moment.

The league and its players association hammered out a deal earlier this year to allow NHLers into the Games for the first time since 2014.

Optimism ran high-until now.

The next few weeks will be critical. If Santa Giulia gets done and passes safety and ice-quality checks, we'll be back on. If not, Bedard may end up watching the Olympics from home.

Here's hoping the builders finish in time. Hockey deserves to take the global stage properly.