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Insider drops a bold claim on the Olympics being canceled: They have the answer

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Sam Walker
December 4, 2025 (5:00 PM)

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The only question was whether rink size would derail the 2026 Winter Olympics hockey. According to recent reporting, that worry is dead-and so is talk of a cancellation.

Unless the Olympic Ice hockey Arena isn't ready, which we addressed yesterday, but that's a whole other issue.

The latest comes from Emily Kaplan, speaking on the What Chaos! podcast. She dismissed the idea that players would skip the Olympics because of rink specifications, declaring there is «no f--king chance» that the size of the ice will stop stars from going.

"I don't think there's anything that could get these players to say, 'F--k it, I'm not going,'" Kaplan said (1:00 mark). "Like, I honestly am trying to wrap my head around what would prevent these guys who are so desperate to play in the Olympics for so long, who have asked for it, who have campaigned for it, who were sure to get that as one of the sticking points in the new CBA... No f--king chance."

Those comments add weight to last summer's formal agreement between National Hockey League (NHL), International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) that cleared NHL participation for 2026.

That agreement included explicit language about accommodating NHL-sized rinks.

The Olympic venues in Milan - including Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena - will feature a rink 2-3 feet shorter than NHL sized ice surfaces.

"Actually, the ice surface, it looks like it's going to be smaller than NHL rink standards, by probably three or four feet," Team Canada's coach Pete DeBoer said. "I don't understand how that happened."

NHL players locked-in for Milan-Cortina 2026

With that hurdle out of the way, the path looks clear if the rink construction does a total 180, as the expected rink ready date was supposed to be on January 5 and is now moved to Febuary, just a short amount of time before the Olympics kick off.

It feels good to believe we're on track. If nothing else falls apart, expect the biggest stars back in Olympic jerseys - and big stakes for national pride.

Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider

Canadiens and Blackhawks become ideal trade partners for a veteran top-six forward

Los Angeles gets a big boost as Drew Doughty returns against the Chicago Blackhawks Thursday

Maple Leafs eyeing Blackhawks' 770-game veteran defenseman as Brandon Carlo replacement

POLL
DECEMBRE 4 \| 82 ANSWERS Insider drops a bold claim on the Olympics being canceled: They have the answer Do you think rink-size fears are now fully behind 2026 Olympic hockey?
Yes they are	35	42.7 %
Some doubts remain	25	30.5 %
Still uncertain	12	14.6 %
No way	10	12.2 %
List of polls

Insider drops a bold claim on the Olympics being canceled: They have the answer

The only question was whether rink size would derail the 2026 Winter Olympics hockey. According to recent reporting, that worry is dead-and so is talk of a cancellation.

NHL players locked-in for Milan-Cortina 2026

Do you think rink-size fears are now fully behind 2026 Olympic hockey?