A lot is being written about the ice hockey arenas at the upcoming Olympic Games in Milan. How are things looking in this respect?
23.12.2025, 18:33
23.12.2025, 18:34
SDA
French IIHF President Luc Tardif spoke exclusively to the news agency Keystone-SDA about the 2026 World Championships in Switzerland, why an annual World Championship makes sense, the World Cup of Hockey, women's ice hockey and the current situation regarding Russia and Belarus.
Luc Tardif, you've just been to Milan. What is the current situation there?
We were there for three days. The reason was the first test event for the smaller hall. We organized a Junior World Championship (U20, Division I, Group B, which was originally supposed to take place in the main arena). It was good to see what the situation was with this venue. We tested everything. The organization also worked well. It's a smaller arena with 4100 seats, but it's very nice and will have a good atmosphere. We have no concerns there. We also saw the main arena, so we have brand new information about how things are going. On January 9, 10 and 11, three games will be played there as a test - two of them with spectators. The entire ice hockey setup should then be ready. After that, there will still be work on the stands and the hospitality area, but overall I'm much more confident now. We will be ready on time.
What is it like for you personally to have to deal with this uncertainty?
I'm definitely more relaxed at our World Championships because it's easier in terms of organization. It's more complicated at the Olympic Games, as the organizing committee, the national ice hockey associations and the IOC are involved in addition to the IIHF. Although we are the organizer of the tournament, we have no influence on the construction. That's why we were a bit worried, especially as no NHL players have taken part in the Olympics since 2014. If you've managed to convince the NHL to come, you want to offer them the best possible arenas.
So the NHL players are coming? It was said that this was not certain in view of the problems.
There was a lot of discussion about the size of the ice rink. But we never had a problem with the NHL because we chose the same size as in Beijing. For Beijing, they backed out at the last moment. We're talking about 90 centimeters less (in length). We moved the blue lines to make the goal zones bigger and tested this in Stockholm (two NHL games took place in November). The same size was played there. The problem is the quality of the ice. That's why we put a lot of pressure on the construction company. Now they understand the importance. We also involved a lot of experts, so the NHL and we were satisfied with the ice quality in the smaller rink. The next step is the training area. After that comes the crucial phase: construction is still going on everywhere and we'll start with the ice in the main arena. It is very important that there is no more dust, we have made that clear to those involved. But we don't need a plan B, the game will be played in Milan.
How important is it that the NHL is back?
The negotiations took two years. The most difficult thing was the insurance for all these players - it costs a lot of money. There were countless lawyers at the table at every meeting. However, everyone wanted to find a solution right from the start, which made the whole thing easier. Now it's important that Milan is a success, because we're already in talks about 2030 in France. After that, the Olympic Games will take place in Salt Lake City. I can't imagine playing there without the NHL. We have an agreement in principle for several Olympic Games, but everyone is now looking at Milan. We want to keep the momentum.
Who pays for the players' insurance?
For the first time, we are sharing the costs: IOC, IIHF and the national Olympic committees and federations. That's why a return was possible in the first place. But the salary cap increases every time - these are enormous sums.
The next World Championships will take place in Switzerland - in Zurich and Fribourg. Shouldn't that worry you?
It's special because we're organizing the World Cup at home, so to speak, as our office is in Zurich. The organizing committee was put together early on. In addition, Christian (Hofstetter, the Secretary General of the World Championships) once worked for the IIHF. And there is no doubt that Switzerland is an ice hockey country. In addition, the success of the national team at the last two World Championships guarantees a good atmosphere. The arenas are made for such a big event. We are almost ready. I wish I could be this confident at the Olympic Games in Milan. In general, the World Cup has been going very well since the coronavirus pandemic. People are buying tickets without knowing who's playing. May is the best time for us. It's usually sunny and it's now something of a tradition for fans to get together for a nice end to the season. That's why the fan zone is important.
In football, a World Cup takes place every four years, in ice hockey every year. Doesn't that diminish the value?
First of all, we have a marketing contract until 2033 with an annual World Cup. It's a good contract that enables us financially to carry out all our development activities. I'm talking about non-profit events - such as tournaments for women, U18 and U20 juniors, in the lower divisions and programs for referees. We are a non-profit organization and have no stakeholders to satisfy. The income from the World Championships goes towards our development work. Now the NHL wants to organize a World Cup every two years. That's why it's important to protect our World Cup. Because if it's no longer financially possible for the IIHF to organize all these junior tournaments - who will do it? We organize 34 world championships every year, that's a lot of work, and the A-World Championship accounts for almost 70 percent of our income. So it's very important to maintain the high level. We want people to understand that.
You mentioned the World Cup. Are you worried about it? It could be that it has a negative impact on the participation of NHL players in world championships.
We are in discussions with the NHL about a joint approach, especially given our understanding of the European market. Also, the NHL is a partner of our World Championships, so it makes sense to support each other. We'll see what the future brings. But it's also good that over time they will get used to suspending their game in February. That will make it easier to convince them to come to the Olympics.
How do you see women's ice hockey developing?
Next year we will start a European competition for women because we have brought the World Championships forward to November so that the players in the professional league in North America (PWHL) can also take part. With the PWHL, there is now a goal for young female players. There are also more semi-professional structures, similar to EV Zug - in Germany, Sweden and Finland. This means that there is now more involvement in women's ice hockey. Ten years ago it was completely different.
Finally: What is the situation regarding a return of Russia and Belarus? Individual athletes from these countries will be allowed to compete at the upcoming Olympic Games under a neutral flag if they meet the requirements.
I was at the most recent Olympic summit: the IOC decided not to change the recommendation to continue excluding the A teams. However, a return to youth competitions was recommended. Our Council will meet at the end of January to discuss the next steps regarding the participation of Russia and Belarus and make a decision. If it is decided to follow the recommendations, we will discuss how we can reintegrate Russia and Belarus at U18 level. But this will not happen immediately, because we have a system with promotion and relegation. That has to be taken into account. So the discussion will be: When is the right time to integrate them? We will be happy when everyone is back. But if we integrate them too early, it could lead to problems.
