The Russians would have fielded one of the most talented teams in the tournament

Follow NBC News live updates for the latest on the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, where hockey and snowboarding events will open ahead of the opening ceremony.

The puck has dropped on the first game at the Milan Cortina Olympics in the newly built hockey arena that needed a rush to the eleventh hour to finish.

Three US Olympic bodies have changed the name of their shared athlete hospitality space at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics from “Ice House” to “Winter House,” following widespread protests in both Italy and the US over the role and conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

With puck drop around the corner, The Athletic asked its hockey staff for their bold predictions for the Milan Cortina Olympics.

MILAN (AP) — The main ice hockey arena for the Winter Olympics is finally ready. Although the NHL players might feel as if they’re skating on a lake. Construction delays and other concerns about the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena have drawn headlines for months ahead of the NHL returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014 and the women’s tournament opening on Thursday.

The question arises after demonstrators packed a square in Milan to protest the reported plan to deploy ICE agents during the Games.

But this time, McMorris listed one other element that no Olympian on the ground four years ago in China will ever take for granted again: “To enjoy it with my friends.” The last time the Winter Olympians convened,