No ice is colder and harder than speedskating ice. The precision it takes has meant that Olympic speedskaters have never competed for gold on a temporary indoor rink – until the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina are set to begin on Feb. 6, and will run until Feb. 22. The Winter Paralympic Games will then begin on March 6 and will run until March 15. Italy will be hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics for the third time, with Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo as the official hosts of the event.

The three-hour opening ceremony is expected to be the most widely viewed moment of the Games, featuring the Parade of Athletes and live entertainment.

Luc Tardif was particularly pleased with how the ice surface held up to a three-game day: "There is no reason that the NHL will not come."

There you have it, eight Colorado Avalanche will depart for Italy and hope to win gold on Sunday, February 22nd. It’s quite an honor as the last time NHL players attended the Olympics the Avalanche sent Matt Duchene, Gabe Landeskog, Paul Stastny and Semyon Varlamov to the festivities.