The Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, the primary hockey venue for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, is undergoing a mid-Olympic makeover.
According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, following player feedback, the arena’s boards are being updated from their darker blue color to a lighter shade. Players have reportedly noted that the previous boards are much darker than those used in most professional hockey arenas, including in the NHL.
TSN’s Claire Hanna shared a video of arena staff preparing the boards for their new look on Monday night.
It’s happening – shoutout to @hailey_salvian for noticing pic.twitter.com/G14mH9h8iH
— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) February 17, 2026
The darker-colored boards may have directly led to a specific goal during a high-profile game this past weekend. During Team USA’s second game of the men’s tournament against Denmark, goaltender Jeremy Swayman gave up a terrible goal to Danish defenseman Nicholas B. Jensen from near center ice.
While Swayman contested that he lost track of the play due to a screen, replays showed the puck blended into the dark boards as it sailed into the net.
The next game in the arena where the new boards will make their debut comes on Tuesday, when Germany plays France in a playoff qualifying game. Milano Santagiulia Arena will be the host of all medal-round games, including the women’s gold-medal matchup between the USA and Canada on Thursday.
