Disastrous update for the Olympics: the ice is nowhere close to being ready

The 2026 Olympic Games mark the long, long-awaited return of the National Hockey League to hockey's biggest stage, with the anticipation continuing to build following the immense success of the Four Nations Face Off.

However, fears have grown over the past few months about the ice and the arena at the games in Milan, with some even worrying that things wouldn't be complete before the games were meant to begin.

Recent photos, however, showed the ice being prepared, and while it didn't look perfect yet, with the tournament still a few weeks away, hope was rekindled that things would be good enough for the grand event.

However, there was a game played on that surface today to see how things were going, and while the ice initially looked solid, disaster struck, as reported by TSN's Chris Johnston, with the event now officially just four weeks away.

According to reports, there was a giant hole in the ice that appeared before that game even concluded, and given how valuable the players heading over there are to the NHL, this may raise some major concerns and may even motivate Gary Bettman to ban players from heading over there.

Of course, things can change in four weeks, as there are likely the top professionals over there looking to get things ready, but with just a month out until hockey begins, it's safe to say that as of right now, there's plenty to be worried about with this situation.

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