NHL Insider Says 'No F--king Chance' Players Miss 2026 Winter Olympics Over Rink Size

The rink size reportedly won't keep NHL players from participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan said on the What Chaos! podcast that there's "no f--king chance" players will opt out because of the rink specifications.

"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."

Concerns arose after recent reports that the Olympic ice arena in Milan is still under construction, and the playing surface could be smaller than an NHL rink, which is required to be 200 feet long by 85 feet wide.

Kaplan reported Wednesday that there are "no indications" the NHL plans to pull players out of the Winter Olympics because of the rink size. She also noted that an agreement the NHL and NHLPA signed with IIHF "clearly states that the ice in Milan must be built to NHL standards."

The Athletic's Chris Johnston and Michael Russo reported earlier this week that the IIHF approved a rink in Milan that is 85.3 feet wide but just 196.85 feet long.

Kaplan noted that the NHL has "no control" over construction, but that the league "is still committed to making it work." She also noted on What Chaos! that the NHL has offered to help, but officials in Milan have declined.

"Are we making too big of a deal of it? No, because the NHL is making a big deal of it," Kaplan said. "You're starting to see them publicly put some pressure here, and they've voiced concerns for a while about this arena construction."

Obviously a rink that's more than three feet smaller than what NHL players are used to raises some concerns, especially considering the Olympics fall in the middle of the NHL season. Still, it seems that won't be enough of a reason for players to pull out after having to miss the last two Winter Olympic games.

The NHL approved player participation in next year's Olympics in July.

NHL players had been allowed to participate in the Winter Olympics from 1998 to 2014, but were prohibited in 2018 and 2022 because of the disruption it caused to the season.

The men's Olympic hockey tournament begins on Feb. 11, 2026, while the women's tournament starts on Feb. 5.