THE’ice hockey it is one of the most intense and fascinating sports we will see at Winter Olympic Games. Speed, physical contact and tactics meet on a rectangular sheet of ice that hides the laws of physics and technical dynamics that make this sport unique. At the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics, hockey – on stage at the Milan Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena and at the Rho Fiera Milano Ice Hockey Arena – will be the protagonist not only for the competitiveness of the national teams that will compete, but also for the highly anticipated return to the Games of the players of the NHLthe top North American professional league featuring the best players in the world, who have been absent from the 5-hoop event for 12 years.
Because hockey is a physics laboratory
On a purely physical level, ice hockey is a great mix of forces at play. It all starts from the surface, the icewhich is not “magically” slippery, but becomes so because the pressure of the skate blades creates a very thin layer of water that reduces friction between blade and ice, allowing players to slide with great ease. This mechanism is the reason an athlete can achieve high speeds even with a minimal push, because the energy imparted by his muscles is quickly transformed into kinetic energy, and the low resistance offered by the ice allows the athlete to maintain speed until another external force intervenes such as a change of direction, a tackle or braking.
The disk (puck) in vulcanized rubber, only 2.5 cm high, is the central element of the game and obeys the same laws of physics that govern projectiles on a surface with little friction. When a player hits it with the cue, the applied force translates into acceleration, causing the puck fly at speeds they can exceed 150 km/h. Part of this energy comes from the elasticity of the cue, able to flex and store energy that is then transferred to the disc, in the same way that a drawn bow releases its arrow.
How long does a hockey game last: basic rules
An ice hockey match lasts 60 actual minutes, divided into three 20 minute periods each. Simply, the team that scores the most wins goal trying to put the puck in the opponent’s goal. If at the end of 60 minutes the result is tied, we proceed with i extra timewhich end the moment a team scores. If neither team has scored at the end of extra time, the match is decided penaltiesexcept in the case of the Olympic final, in which extra time will continue until one team scores.
Each team can have up to 25 players in the squad in the men’s tournament e 23 in the women’s one, but they are there on the ice six athletes per team at a time: five players and one goalkeeper. Substitutions can happen on the go, without stopping play, which helps keep the game fast-paced and constantly evolving.
Where is the tournament played and how is it structured in Milan-Cortina
The Milan-Cortina ice hockey tournament will be held on two tracks set up in Milan: one at the Rho Fair, one in the new Santa Giulia building, in what will be the largest indoor arena in Italy, capable of hosting 12 thousand spectators during the Games and over 16 thousand during concerts.
Both systems comply with international standard dimensions, compliant with the regulations of the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation), which however they are slightly different than the typical surfaces of NHL championships. This has caused several controversies in recent weeks, because the agreement to bring NHL players back to the Olympics provided for the tournament to be played on a rink same size as those used in North America.
The women’s tournament began on February 5, even one day before the opening ceremony of the Games, while the men’s tournament will start on February 11. The competition includes a group phase in which the teams compete against each other round robinwith the best ones going through to the direct elimination stages up to the final.
The two super favorite nations are United States and Canadafollowed, according to bookmakers, by the European nations in which hockey is most followed and practiced, namely the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland (reigning men’s champion).
THE’Italy will participate at both tournaments as host nation, the last participation in fact dates back to the 2006 Turin Games, where it was similarly qualified as host. The real goal for both teams is to win at least one match in the round robin.
